That post caused Pamela Sheldon Johns’ of the lovely Agriturismo Poggio Etrusco Bed & Breakfast in Tuscany to remind me that her artist husband Johnny has a Fiat 500 too.

Pamela kindly give Blog from Italy permission to borrow a photograph of their cheeky little Fiat 500, so here it is.

Pamela Sheldon and Johnny Johns’ Perky Little Fiat 500

Johnny Johns Pazzo Fiat 500

I’m sure there is an intriguing tale behind this mad little car deep in the heart of Tuscany, so hopefully either Pamela or Johnny will tell us it.

If you would like to see the car in the flesh, you should go stay with the Johns in their corner of Tuscany. Note that their agriturismo bed and breakfast also has a lovely pool.  Just the place to cool down in during long hot Italian summers, writes he somewhat enviously as he sweats over his keyboard in torrid heat of Milan.

You will find more information on the Johns charming bed and breakfast and apartments for rental, and that pool, in this post: A Must for Wine Lovers Poggio Etrusco, Tuscany – and if you go, don’t forget to sample their organic olive oil and wine either. If you do decide to book accommodations at the Johns’ place, don’t forget to mention Blog from Italy, and you might find that you end up with a little extra holiday souvenir to help you remember that Tuscan summer.

You will also find a route to artist Johnny Johns‘ website too, if you click on the link above.

This was the previous post along with a photo of a perky little Fiat 500: Fiat’s Cinquecento, An Italian Myth

Piazza Navona, Rome

The unlucky couple must have nearly fallen over when they were presented with a credit card bill which totalled a whopping 579 Euros!  And that was not all, the crafty owner allegedly tacked on an extra 115 Euro tip!  Talk about adding insult to injury.  This brought the grand total to around 700 Euros.  Quite a pricey bite to eat!

Obviously believing that they had been royally ripped off by the suspected sharp practices of this Roman restaurateur, and after having tried to dispute the bill, the Japanese couples’ next stop was the local constabulary.  The Roman police must have agreed that the price was rather on the steep side, and promptly brought charges against the owner for this probable con trick.

Not only has the owner of this pricey and apparently popular eatery been charged with fraud, but his establishment is also being investigated for hygiene regulation infringement, according to reports on the L’Unità and other Italian news websites. At present the Passetto Restaurant in Rome’s Via  Zanardelli is closed.

Want to know what the average Passetto restaurant price per head is?

Ten Times the Average Price

According to a couple of Rome restaurant listing and review web sites, the Passetto restaurant, which serves supposedly superior sustenance; when not ripping off tame tourists that is; charges between between fifty and sixty Euros a head, though this price does not include drinks, just in case you were curious.  The Passetto does not seem to get the greatest of reviews either.  One wonders why.

The tourist surcharge appears to have been somewhat excessive to say the least.  One can imagine the proprietor’s explanation: ‘I’m sorry, but the risotto was made with real gold, and the lobsters were fished out of the Tiber just this afternoon.’, or something like that.  Such excuses must not have held much water with the Roman police though.  To find out what the Japanese tourists actually ate, see Rome restaurant in hot soup for 700-euro lunch tab on Reuters

Have You Been Royally Ripped Off by this Rome Restaurant?

It is probable that these Japanese tourists were not the first to have been taken for an unappetizing ride in this Roman restaurant.  So, if you have eaten the Passetto restaurant in Rome, and were rather taken aback by the bill, maybe you should bring this to the attention of the Rome police.

The Commissariato Trevi-Campo Marzio police station in Piazza del Collegio Romano, 3, Rome, telephone: 0039 06 690121, Fax: 0039 06 46862957, would be a good place to start, seeing as the police there know a thing or two about the Passetto restaurant’s allegedly overly inflated prices, as this is the very police station to which the Japanese tourists, who believed that they had been thoroughly ripped off, reported their sour tale.

Today’s Italian Lesson

Learn this Italian phrase, written sort of phonetically:  ‘Mee dah eel men-ooh an-kay in ee-tal-ee-aah-no, pair pee-ah-chair-ay’, and you should get a menu in Italian, if the eatery has one which is not in both English and Italian.  This should help you avoid being given the ‘rip-off the tourist’ menu.

Funny this story should have come up, I recently wrote about how to avoid restaurant rip-offs in Rome, in a post about Rome’s Piazza Navona, too!  See Rome’s Most Famous Piazza?

This post sparked a few negative comments on Italy’s primary eternal tourist destination as well:  Italy Doesn’t Give a Damn about Tourists, see the comments.

Beware when roaming Rome in search of a succulent supper, or lunch, for that matter.

Here is Rome’s, currently closed, Passetto Restaurant website, it’s in English too.

Your Experiences – Please read

By all means tell Blog from Italy and its readers your tales of woe, but, unless you have won a law suit against any company or establishment, please do not mention its name, and only refer to it in general terms.  Neither Blog from Italy nor its author Alex Roe wish to damage the good name of businesses, and note that management can change, meaning that previous episodes may not be repeated, and also thus render past episodes irrelevant.

The post above is based on a real case as reported in the Italian press, and note that the establishment concerned has been charged, but that a charge is not the same as a conviction. It is possible that the proprietor can justify the level of the seemingly excessive bill levied on the Japanese tourists concerned.

If you do want to name names, then please use the contact system on this site, and, the name’s of the businesses concerned will be passed on to the proper authorities who may then choose to investigate further.

I would welcome any informal advice from passing Italian lawyers on the potential legal liability of mentioning the names of businesses on this site.  Thank you in advance.

Sources:

Pranzo da 580 euro, a Roma chiuso il ‘Passetto’ – 580 Euro Dinner, the Passetto in Rome Closed – in Italian, L’Unità 1 July, 2009

iristorante.it – online guide to Italian eateries, in Italian – price per head in the Passetto restaurant.

Piazza Navona photo by pynomoscat: pynomoscato

Here are some YouTube images which show the scale of the damage.  Another 14 or so people were seriously injured as a result of the explosion of the train which was passing through Viareggio’s  station.

News reports on the incident are suggesting that human error was not to blame, but nothing is clear yet.  Other reports are suggesting that the tragedy was caused by the poor state of maintenance of the trucks carrying the tanks.

Updates in main post.

UPDATE: 3 July, 2009:  The death toll has risen to 20, as a result of the deaths of some of those seriously injured in the gas blast.

• Viareggio’s railway station reopened today, meaning that travel disruption should ease.

UPDATE: 1 July, 2009: The cause of the crash may have been an axle on one of the LPG carrying trucks which sheered.  Poor maintenance is being blamed.  Or maybe was it cut by terrorists?

Here is a photograph of the supposedly rust corroded sheered axle which led to the disastrous train crash and explosion: Incidente Viareggio, le foto dell’asse che ha ceduto  – Viareggio Incident – the photo of the axle which gave way – La Repubblica

An aerial photograph of the area of Viareggio affected by the incident – from Corriere della Sera website.

Italian Railway Operator Issues Assurances that Rolling Stock in Good Condition

The Italian railway operator, Ferrovie dello Stato, which appears to be attempting to shed any responsibility for the disaster, has stated that the GPL tankers were not in their ownership, and were the property of the Austrian branch of American company GATX Rail Austria, who were responsible for maintenance.  The truck which apparently provoked the disaster had been in for routine maintenance on the 2 March, 2009.  Moreover, the truck in question had been certified as in good condtion by German rail safety authorities.

According to the Italian railroad company, documentation indicated that the load carried did not exceed the allowed limit of 80 metric tonnes at the time of the incident.

Source: Ferrovie dello Stato news, 30 June, 2009 – Carro sviato: la manutenzione spettava alla società proprietaria – Derailed waggon:  Waggon Owners Responsible for Maintenance – in Italian.

UPDATE, 5:37 Italian Time June 30, 2009 - Il Sole 24 Ore’s latest report on the disaster states that 16 people were killed, 36 injured – of which 14 seriously.  Around 1,100 people have been evacuated as a precautionary measure, whereas those directly affected, amount to 300 or so.

One imagines that the 300 people mentioned above inhabited property destroyed or badly damaged by the gas blast.  Five apartment blocks were seriously damaged by the explosion, although more may be declared unsafe, as emergency services continue to sift through the rubble in the hope of finding further survivors, or, sadly, victims.

Tuscany, the region in which Viareggio is located, is calling for a state of emergency to be declared, such is the scale of the incident.

Those in Italy, and who can speak Italian, can call the following help line for information: 800 732 911

Update Source: Il Sole 24 Ore – Disastro di Viareggio, Berlusconi arriva in città. Forti contestazioni – in Italian

Viareggio Train Disaster, Italy, June 2009

This is where Viareggio is in Italy (zoom out to see the location in relation to, Genoa, Rome and Florence):

Those travelling in this area by train should expect delays today, and, most probably, tomorrow too for the next two days while the rest of the tankers carrying gas are removed from the zone.  Trains travelling to Rome and Naples and from Genoa and Turin use this line.  News items have indicated that rail services to Pisa and Florence have been disrupted by this incident.

Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi put in an appearance at Viareggio, and was greeted by both applause and shouts of ‘buffone’ – which is ‘buffoon’ or ‘fool’ in English, apparently.

Viareggio is a popular tourist destination, although no mention of damage to hotels been made.  Those planning to drive through Viareggio should try to find another route for the next few days, as the area is likely to be chaotic.

Beautiful Italy

The Touring Club of Italy, better known as the Touring Club Italiano here in Italy, is a Milan-based non-profit organisation which was founded way back in 1894 by a group of 55 Italian cycling enthusiasts.  The TCI, as it is often known, publishes lots of interesting Italy travel guides, the most famous of which are the ‘Guide Rosse‘ or Red Guides, which are not related to Michelin’s similarly named series of Red Guides, by the way.  TCI guides are also available in English.

Well, the other day I found myself with half an hour to kill, so I popped in to an Italian Touring Club travel store in central Milan.  The shelves of this shop are jam packed with guides, videos, DVDs and a whole host of other travel related resources.  You can even buy Italian Touring Club bicycles, which is in keeping with the origins of this organisation, which now boasts some 400,000 members, incidentally.  Some of the Italian members of the TCI may well be cyclists, but the majority nowadays will not be, one suspects.

All this travel related goodness is not solely limited to Italy – Italians are quite adventurous world travellers in their own right – and guides to every corner of the world can be found.  Buried in amongst all this travel literature you may also find guides in English, as indeed, did I.

However, the guide which caught my eye was a new one all about discovering Italy by car. I stumped up the 20 Euro asking price, and thought I’d write a little about it, and then tell you the rub.

Italy By Car

This Touring Club of Italy guide to touring Italy by car contains 20 driving itineraries, ranging in length from just under 300 kilometres (c. 186 miles) to a little over 750 kilometres (c. 466 miles), and covering the length and breadth of Italy. And it does not miss out Italy’s main islands, Sicily and Sardinia, either, which is nice.

A 300 kilometre trip is something which can be covered in around 5 hours driving at a leisurely pace.  This adds up to a short two to three day holiday, or longer if you decide to stop off for a day or two in some of the places along the recommended routes, which is something you might well end up doing.

For those thinking about a two week tour, following the longest routes might be an idea, or, for those planning a grand tour of Italy, several of the routes could be combined.  Of course these trips would be ideal for couples or families, but driving enthusiasts might also like the idea of following roads through the country which inspired such classic marques as Ferrari, and Lamborghini.  If you are lucky enough to own one of these fabulous cars, then you really should bring it to Italy for a whiz round.

How the Book is Organised

Depending on the length of the route chosen, each is split into three or more sections, with points of interest along the routes being indicated to the side of the texts via little kilometre markers.  To help orientate you, each route has a little map which shows the start and end points of the trip, along with towns and villages though which you will pass.

At the back of the guide more detailed maps are provided, again showing the routes detailed in the book, and then there is a useful addresses section with places to eat and sleep listed.  Web site addresses and telephone numbers are also provided, which is helpful.

The guide is nicely illustrated too, with some lovely photographs which will many will find tempting, I’ve no doubt.  Well, they tempted me!

The Rub

Believe me when I say that it is well worth exploring the whole of this fascinating land, and discovering for yourself the contrasts which exist between the North and South.

Come to think of it, I would not mind in the least using this guide to get to know Italy better.  Luckily I could, for I speak and read Italian, which leads me to the slight rub.  This intriguing guide is only available in Italian at present, although I was told by the Touring Club of Italy staff that it is likely to be translated into Italian in a year or so.  I do hope so.

Join the Club

If you are thinking about visiting Italy either this summer, or in the future, you might like to think about investing 25 Euros in becoming a member of the Touring Club Italiano. Members are entitled to a range of discounts on car rental and accommodation, as well as being supplied with up to date information on Italy which may well prove interesting and useful.

For some strange reason, the membership fee only covers 2009.  It appears to run for one complete year only if you sign up the year before!  Well, this is Italy, and Italy tends to have its own logic.

That said, the Touring Club Italiano website is rather better presented than many of Italy’s ‘official’ tourism web sites.

The Touring Club Italiano website the following link points to is in, good, English too, and is worth having a look at:  Touring Club Italiano – in English

The TCI does produce Italy travel guides in English too, even if their search system is not, in my opinion, too user friendly.  It could be a mite better organised.

Shame this guide was not produced from the start in English, and other languages,  as this might help prevent Italian tourism from rusting.

Sorgente owns New York's Flatiron

One thing I love about Italy is the country’s ability to preserve its cultural heritage.  Although there is evidence, in the form of Palermo, for example, to suggest the contrary, anyone who has visited the likes of Rome, Florence, Venice, Siena and a myriad of other Italian towns and cities will have noted how their timeless centres are in fine condition, and at the same time, are places which live and breath.  This is the one of the most glorious aspects of the Living Museum, and long may it continue.

Indeed, as many will know, Italy has a seemingly unlimited supply of architectural masterpieces.  Many of these buildings cum artworks are put to good use which ensures they will continue to contribute to Italy’s fascination, and preserve Italy’s reputation as a primary destination for those in search of substantial doses of European culture.

Recently, innovative Italian property investment company, Sorgente, which owns the Flatiron building in New York incidentally, has been doing its bit in terms of preserving of Italy’s finest buildings.  In Rome, no less.

Sorgente’s Latest Trophy – the Galleria Colonna in Rome

Now known as the Galleria Alberto Sordi, a name which was adopted after this atmospheric Art Nouveau shopping arcade in Rome reopened after rennovation works in 2003, this elegant covered shopping centre is situated in the very heart of Rome.  Indeed, Piazza Collona, onto which the Galleria Alberto Sordi fronts, is also where Palazzo Chigi, an  Italian government centre of operations, is to be found.

The Galleria Colonna Shopping Arcade, Rome, Italy

Headed by real estate expert, Valter Mainetti, Sorgente bought this historic shopping arcade as part of its so-called trophy property investment fund, which is a real estate investment vehicle that aims to acquire prestige property around the world.  Although some may think to the contrary, such real estate can produce very healthy returns for investors, provided that they are managed efficiently.  Efficient management is another of Sorgente’s specialities too, so you can be certain that if the company buys architectural classics, they will remain so.  And yes, just to remind you, this is an Italian company we are talking about.

Other prime properties which Sorgente has acquired include New York’s historic landmark and cultural icon the Flatiron building, and Sorgente recently sold a majority share in another New York icon, the Chrysler Building.

Flatiron building, New York

Risky investment Strategy?

As is to be expected, the running costs associated with buildings, such as the Galleria Colonna shopping arcade, which double as works of art, can be phenomenally high.  Indeed, most investors would shy away from such risky investments.  Most investors is not the category into which Sorgente falls though, luckily for Italy, and for the rest of the world.

Exploiting a combination of market knowledge and technical expertise, not to mention a love of beautiful buildings,  Sorgente is able to take on seemingly high risk investments, exploit their obvious benefits, and make them produce a profit.  At the same time, of course, this innovative Italian investment company is helping conserve Italy for both its residents, and for the world.  Ever thought of an outwardly dull investment company saving portions of the world’s artistic heritage?  Probably not, not until now, that is.

The Chairman of Enasarco, an Italian pension fund which participated in the acquisition of this landmark Galleria Colonna shopping arcade,  Brunetto Boco, stated that the completion of the Galleria Colonna deal represented “Another important step in the cultivation of our (Italy’s) architectural heritage. We are particularly proud to have been involved in this investment, which enabled the Sorgente Fund to acquire a historic building against foreign competition.”

As you can see, Sorgente is helping to keep the best of Italy, Italian.  It is also saving Italian taxpayers an enormous amount of money, in that public funds are not needed to maintain Italy’s architectural heritage.

Unlike many companies, Sorgente is not afraid to think long term.  One could think of it as being a white-knight investor.

Long Term Innovator Sorgente

Actually, in using the word ‘innovative’, one conjures up the image of some recently founded start-up, a company which operates in the high tech field, possibly.  Sorgente, on the other hand, is an Italian company which has been innovating in the field of investment for more than 200 years, for that is how long the company has been a player in the market.

At first sight, Sorgente’s investment strategy may seem a little on the ambitious side.  However, if you dig a little deeper, you will understand that this company is very effective at putting its 200 years of history in property investment to exceptionally efficient use.

Sorgente’s activites are not solely limited to Italy.  Indeed, as mentioned previously, Sorgente owns property in the United States of America including such cultural landmarks as the distinctive Flatiron building in New York.

While investment companies in general do not have the best of names at present, what with the credit crunch having been brought about primarily by overly ambitious and badly thought out high risk investment products, Sorgente is weathering the economic storm very well.  So why is this Italian company doing so well?

The Valter Mainetti Factor

One of the main reasons why Sorgente’s performance is exceptional is the management skills of Valter Mainetti, Sorgente’s managing director.  Sorgente’s Trophy Investment fund is a product of his foresight.  And, let’s face it, any company which can go about spending in today’s economic climate must be run exceptionally well.  Sorgente must know a thing or two about risk management too, I would say.

Considered both a pioneer and an ambassador for Italy’s real estate industry, Valter Mainetti, is a shrewd Italian quietly acquiring some of the world’s finest buildings.    Supporting Mainetti, of course, is a team of experienced property professionals, and a network of banks and other sophisticated firms.

Pioneering Mr Mainetti was also one of the first investment specialists to have introduced the concept of real estate investment funds to the Italian market.  Indeed, one could say that Mainetti, who has worked outside of Italy, is highly adept at taking the best of solid Italian investment strategy and mixing it to good effect with the creative thinking common to the USA and UK investment markets.

Mainetti really does appear to have real estate in his blood.  In fact, his family were involved in the construction of high rise buildings in 1920s New York.  I was also interested to learn that late Italian politican, and former prime minister of Italy, Aldo Moro supervised Valter Mainetti’s degree thesis.

The trophy hunting investment strategy of Sorgente SGR, is very much in keeping with the Mainetti family’s long standing interest in culture, and in addition to operating one of Italy’s most successful investment funds, the Sorgente group supports conservation efforts, and encourages the development and appreciation of various other forms of artistic creativity, through direct investment, support for research projects, and the funding of restoration.

Cultured Investment Funds

Even the names of Sorgente’s investment funds, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Donatello, Baglioni, symbolise the company’s interest in culture.  Mainetti somehow also manages to find time to devote to promoting all that is best in Italy, as is evidenced by the Sorgente Group Foundation.  More on this another time.

In short, Sorgente amounts to a pretty much untold Italian success story.  A fable which could, perhaps, be used to teach others a thing or two about sustainability and corporate social responsibility, and not just in Italy.  Impressive stuff.  An example which shows that with the right mentality, capitalism has a lot going for it.

If only the rest of Italy were to be managed with the same level of insight.

I wonder if Sorgente is looking into this investment opportunity: The Admirable Admiral’s Villa in Taormina Hope so.

More on Sorgente

Sorgente Group website

Sorgente Group Foundation website – presentation to the foundation

HDR is a technique which can give images a certain extra little something.

See what you think of this photograph of what was once the location of a Roman circus.

Rome, Italy – Piazza Navona by pynomoscato

Piazza Navona, Rome

I’ve seen Piazza Navona in the flesh, so to speak.  Only when I was there, all the fountains were being done up, so this famous Italian piazza had lost some of its charm.  Never mind, hopefully one day I’ll see this piazza and all its fountains in full working order.

Do as the Romans Do

On the subject of visiting Rome, someone recently complained about tourist rip offs in Italy’s capital here on Blog from Italy.

Beware of restaurants in Rome with people who invite you in.  The food is unlikely to be good, and the bill may well be high.  Guides for tourists litter the internet nowadays, so you should  do a little research beforehand.  Blackberry and iPhone owners with reasonably priced data roaming plans can do such research on the spot, and on the go to an extent, and Google’s Latitude service can help you avoid getting lost, unless, of course, you want to!

Remember that wi-fi enabled mobile phones can connect to free wi-fi in hotels and elsewhere.  This means that there is no need to drag a heavy, and valuable, laptop around with you,  and, as you might know, such connections will not have an adverse effect on your end of trip phone bill.  Make your life a little simpler by booking into a hotel with free wifi.

However, having said that you should avoid overly friendly eateries, part of the fun on holiday, for me anyway, is coming across interesting little restaurants.  You can still do this, but try to look for places where the menu is only in Italian, not in Italian and English nor in languages other than Italian.  In other words, do as the Romans do, and you will taste real Italian food.

With thanks to pynomoscato for letting me use his photograph of one of Italy’s most famous Piazzas.

This and other examples of pynomoscat’s work can been seen on Flickr: pynomoscato

For more information on HDR – see High Dynamic Range Imaging on Wikipedia

As a result of attending the recent launch of the Megacommunities book in Italy, I picked up the June edition of Italian business magazine, L’Impresa.   That this magazine should have been available at the Megacommunities launch was no coincidence, in that it contained an interview with Fernando Napolitano, Booz and Company’s head in Italy, and co-author of the book.

Curiosity being my middle name, I read the interview article, and discovered in a section which referred to case histories, Napolitano mentioned that Booz was working with five ‘initiator’ leaders on a two themes of global relevance, and one other theme which should make Italy more efficient and competitive in today’s global world.

Have you any idea what these three key themes are?  If not, then please keep reading.

World Hunger – Number One

The first of these themes, and perhaps the most relevant at a social level is world hunger.

The world has made huge progress in terms of eradicating hunger, especially as a result of the development of Asian economies.  However, despite the phenomenal growth the economies such as those of China and India, hunger remains a major problem.  A problem which needs tackling.  Well, I’m pleased to say that this issue is being examined closely by groups of beautiful minds.

At least someone is working on a solution.

Information Technology Security – Number Two

The second of the two global themes is that of information technology security.

Now, while at first sight this may not appear to be a much of social issue, those who have been subject to internet fraud, identity theft, and have been victims of the latest and most crafty of computer viruses, may beg to differ.

Computers have become a fundamental part of many peoples lives, and are destined to become ever more important, yet they are vulnerable to many forms of attack.  Whereas some such attacks may be relatively minor in nature, others can be potentially disastrous.

Just imagine what would happen if hackers managed to infiltrate and bring down government computer networks at a time of national disaster, such as that of the recent earthquake in Abruzzo, Italy.  Such a breach of computer security could literally cost lives.

There are many other nightmare scenarios I could mention in relation to breaches of computer security, some of which could create dire problems for the world and all its inhabitants.  Thus it is understandable why IT security should find itself near the top of a list on key global issues.

Bringing Management Best Practices to Italy’s High Tech Sector – Number Three

The last of the themes, which is targeted at improving the capacity of Italy to compete at a global level, concerns bringing American management best practices to Italy’s high tech sector.

Seeing as Italy has a budding high tech sector, especially in the field of solar energy generation, amongst other things, raising management efficiency is bound to be good for Italy.

Silvio Berlusconi is Part of The Team

The five initiator leaders who are on the problem solving team include Josette Sheeran, the executive director of the World Food Program, Fedele Confalonieri, president of Mediaset, and Massimo Sarni, the managing director of the Italian Post Office (hope he reads my How to Post Things to Italy post, and the comments!).  Then there is Ronald Spogli, ex-US Ambassador to Italy, who is also on the team.

Last but not least according to the L’Impresa article, the fifth initiator leader is nonetheless than Italy’s prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who Booz head Napolitano stated is also  working to solve the key themes listed above.

Berlusconi Working to Make the World a Better Place

There.  While everyone else is having a go at Silvio over his various apparent peccadilloes, he is actually involved in a project designed to make the world a better place.

I wonder how many people, both in Italy and abroad, are aware of this aspect of Berlusconi.

Oh and by the way, the Megacommunities book makes for interesting reading.  More on it another time.