FlorenceForFun Blog

Having just returned to Firenze after a brief hiatus in Aus, the number one item on the list of things to do was to get the car back on the road. Battery re-attached and tyres pumped I needed to get legal and renew the insurance. When I left Firenze I was delighted (truly delighted!) to discover that car insurance can be ‘suspended’ and all those euros that I had paid could be saved until my return. I set aside a day for the renewal because, as anyone who has stayed here for a while knows, it takes an entire morning just to post a parcel so something as confusing and involved as an insurance policy could take all week. I caught the bus to the agency (not too painful at all) and was buzzed in immediately.

“Signorina Giulietta! Come sta? Vuole un caffe’?” Wha? Sorry? Where is the button I press to get my number for the queue? Not in Florence. If you become a regular somewhere you are genuinely welcomed with open arms. It is so nice to feel…well, remembered…not just another face behind the counter….and it isn’t even that hard to become a member of the club. Go to your favourite bar a few times, make sure you chat with the barista, introduce yourself, and you’re in! If you manage to make an impression, you may even get a lifetime membership. Like my friend, for example, who came back to Firenze recently for a short visit after living in Borgo San Jacopo for years back in the 70’s. She meandered into the florist to get a bouquet for a friend and was greeted like a lost member of the family. Not only did they remember her name but the florist actually remembered which flowers she likes and how she likes them arranged! I will have to try a bit harder for that kind of fame. The local benzinaio remembered me…… but asked me if I had had a good trip home to Germany. Oh well. Close enough.

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This entry was posted on Monday, February 26th, 2007 at 11:56 am and is filed under Florence, FlorenceForFun, Giulietta, Italian Culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.