Signs of the Times

While having lunch today at Piazza Ungaria with my friend Carol Anne I saw a few sights that reminded me of how colourful a city I've been living in for the past few years.

As we sat sipping our prosecco behind the plexiglass divider that separated us from the sidewalk we watched the parade of Parioli ladies and gents in their finery as well as the African vendors and a few of the local beggars that work the area.  An elderly gentleman lurched out of this rather esoteric procession of the good, the bad and the ugly.  His tongue was hanging out, he appeared to be gasping for air and was in obvious distress.  He supported himself against a lamp post and seemed to be on the point of collapse.  Both of us expressed alarm to the owner of the restaurant as did people at several other tables.  She gave a little laugh and said "That's Antonio, he's working.  Just watch him."  A woman stopped to see if she could help and he burst into tears and gesticulated a story of some sort - she gave him a few euros.  We saw this act repeated several times as he "worked" his way lurching and collapsing along the street.  He must have made €20.00 within 10 minutes.  On a contract at the Embassy I'd have to work over an hour to make that much.  Obviously I'm in the wrong line of work.


Later we sat drinking our coffee when my eye caught this rather interesting sign on some sort of service box on one of the sidewalk poles. No I don't mean the one for the dog sitter!

If the advertiser were writing in classic Italian it would suggest they were Slavic and looking for a lady however I have a feeling it may not exactly be the intention of the service being offered.

26 maggio - San Filippo Neri

Lunedi Lunacy

While cataloging a few photos from our London trip earlier in the year I came across this little gem posted in Westminster. The Borough not the Abbey!


And if I don't have a cellphone?????

02 agosto - Sant'Eusebio di Vercelli

Signs of the Times

I am always surprised by how quickly political posters appear here. Following last Thursday's decision by the Constitutional Court of Italy these posters appeared on the streets by early Friday morning

Thank goodness there is the Constitution.
It makes us all united and equal.

13 ottobre - San Teofilo di Antiochia

Signs of the Times

My old - I have to stop saying that he's isn't old, or if he is so am I - former roommate Ray's partner Bill took this photo last week in Firenze.
Though I can't say I agree with the sentiment - after all tourism is the major industry in town - I think, given the swarms of visitors (myself included) clogging the streets, shops, cafes and trattorias I understand the locals' point of view.

And at least they said "Please".

06 ottobre - San Bruno di Colonia

Signs of the Times

I always knew that Constance Bay was a recreational paradise... I just didn't know how inclusive that recreation was!

It appears that the City of Ottawa sign painters left one of the panels blank so a thoughtful citizen filled it in for them.

10 luglio - San Silvano

Stuffed Peppers, Anyone?

Despite the name I've been assured the food is exceptional.
Apparently this restaurant was indeed once a Taxidermist's. And Salvador Dali was one of their regular customers. One occasion as well as ordering a lion, a tiger, a rhinoceros for a show he was creating in the adjacent Plaza Real, he also ordered 200,000 ants! I'm still trying to figure out how you stuff 200,000 ants - and with what?

22 marzo - San Benvenuto

Signs of the Times

Last week outside one of the more conservative high schools there were signs calling for a day of remembrance - not an unusual thing here. This roughly translates as:

Honour to
all the war heroes felled at the hands
of Anti-Fascists.
In our memory we do not
and in our future
we will not disown them.

I am trying to imagine this sort of thing appearing on the streets of Berlin.

20 febbraio - Sant'Eleuterio di Tournai

Signs of the Times

A walk down Via Toledo in the Centro Storico of Napoli revealed these signs of the times.
All the shops were having sales - promises of up to 50% discounts, but this store decided to face the economic situation and call it what it is: CRISI!

I'm not sure where exactly in Ireland the O'Talebano clan springs from or if they are related to the IRA but I do know that the late Sheik Zaid of the UAE would not have been pleased being connected with them.

03 febbraio - San Biagio di Sebaste

Hmmmm... Okay

There are some words that just don't belong together!



18 gennaio - Santa Margherita d'Ungheria

Signs of the Times

Times are tough in so many businesses, I guess everyone has to have a sideline!

27 aprille - Santa Zita