Don't plan to do anything in a hurry if you want to live in Italy!
Well... 'they' said it would be overcast with a little sun up here this morning and then rain with possible thunderstorms this evening...
Yeah, right! Well unusual for here, this time they didn't get it right. But it has that autumnal chill in the air now and I wore a light cardigan when I went out this morning and was pleased I did. So it looks as if our chance of an 'Indian Summer' has now turned into a distinct 'Cowboy' one (get it? - NO? Oh well never mind ...).
This morning
should have been a 'quick round' of government type offices. When will I learn that in Italy the words 'government' and 'quick' will really never be synonymous!!!
First stop the Comune office to sort out two things:
1. The renewal of my Disabled parking disc. Armed with certificate from ASL doctor for a (now) permanent disc,I was told that the Local Poliziotto would have to deliver it to me as it has to be signed by the Mayor and
he's 'not around for a few days' (?).
2. Second office to see why they have decided that I underpaid my ICI (Community Tax) for my place up here for 2007 and 2008 to the tune of 186 and 192 respectively... I have paid every bill or account they have ever sent me from day 1... Turns out that they forgot to charge me ICI for the garden which is classified as edificabile (has planning permission for another building)...
So those two items took up over an hour and really weren't resolved. I'm off to the CAF (union help) on Wednesday to see if they can sort out the mess with this ICI tax business. I know they will be reasonably priced and will do a good job. Cheaper than a commercialista anyway.
So my next stop was our 'new' Post Office (it's next door to the Comune). Only 2 people ahead of me at the one counter we have. (Well it is a titchy village, but at least we
have a PO). I got there at 10.40am - I could see that on my super new (
VERY CHEAP)solar powered watch
All I wanted was 6 stamps
... but the two in front of me wanted 'heaven knows what' and it got round to my turn at 11.14!!! And then - wait for it .... the stamps were in the safe and the clerk had to phone the regular girl (off sick) to get the combination. So that took up another 8 minutes and in the meantime the queue is now out on the pavement. Must have been half the village there. Well I finally got my stamps, and paid for them, and exited the PO at 11.30am -
Only in Italy - I assure you - Only in Italy!!!
But that wasn't the end of it... I should be so lucky
! Next stop a branch of the bank that I have near Milano - I've been using the small village branch down there since 1975. In August I wanted a new cheque book, phoned them and asked them to post me one up here.... a sharp intake of breath followed and I was told "Non si puō mandare per posta...". Even sharper words followed (from me) and I made it clear that I was NOT going to make a 150 mile round trip just to collect a damned cheque book! We agreed that they would forward one to their nearest branch to me up here for me to collect at my leisure. That's only a 20 mile round trip. Well in the meantime I had visitors and didn't get to the bank - so they phoned me and said that as I hadn't collected the book - they'd sent it back to Milan!!!!!!!!!
Well - long story short - I told 'em to get it back to the local branch and to tell them NOT TO SEND IT BACK AGAIN, and I would collect it when my health permitted. So - this morning was the day... and - yes, you've guessed it... they sent it back (again) last Friday!!!!
Well - that was it....I kid you not - my blood pressure took off and so did my temper. I called them all the names under the sun (that I could think of) and refused to budge until they sorted the whole mess out! Well a couple of phone calls later, and having spoken the the manager of 'my' branch, it was agreed that they would (risk?) posting it to me 'Registered Post - with return receipt... Now why the heck they couldn't have done that in the first place who knows?
And the time now? 12.59 and they shut the bank door behind me so they could close and go off to lunch!
Only in Italy - yes, only in Italy!
DON'T 'clock watch' in Italy! 
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