Tuesday, October 23, 2007

OF TONERS AND TINTERS

Here in Modica about 1400 citizens were issued, at the beginning of the year, with identity cards which are useless - because the wrong sort of toner was used in the Comune printer and the ink fades quickly. The Comune has said it will "try" to reissue cards to those affected without their having to pay administration fees or for bolli all over again. Bolli are special stamps which you have to purchase for nearly every document in Italy and they are a source of much revenue and fun for town authorities, as the officials just love sending you to the tobacconist's to buy them and making you wait all over again when you come back. [The trip to the tobacconist's may be a long one as the nearest might not have a bollo of the value that you need for the particular document.] The citizens have already had to pay themselves for new photographs for the replacement cards. I'll be interested to find out what other fees they are actually charged.
In a Warholist gesture, a 54-year-old man threw red dye into the Trevi Fountain in Rome on Friday. It has been cleaned up today. I think it looked rather pretty myself, and it seems I am not alone in this opinion, as now artists and celebrities are pointing out that it's not a bad idea and that the incident has generated a great deal of publicity for Rome. The photographer Oliviero Toscani has gone just a little over the top, though, in declaring that "Rome still menstruates - it's still fertile!" - Oh, I do love Italians!

11 comments:

jmb said...

Carta da bollo. I remember it from an exam. Fill in the preposition. I didn't even know at that time what a bollo was.
I think the Fountain water looked rather festive too, like Chritmas.

Leslie: said...

I agree with jmb - at least the red is a pure red, and doesn't look dirty. I love those Italians, too...lol

Whispering Walls said...

Brilliant!

James Higham said...

What's come over you, Welshcakes? Hardhitting, incisive, the blog is now a heady mix of culinary aromas and the aroma of intrigue.

Whispering Walls said...

Someone's written some Welsh songs in the comment section of my blog today. You may enjoy them (it's all Welsh to me!)

Gledwood said...

Re the ID cards, that guy had better try pretty hard: surely the local citizens won't just meekly queue up to pay a repeat issuing fee?

I heard about the red fountain fuss on BBC world service. I'd have thought it brightened the place up on a melancholy autumn afternoon...

Crushed said...

I'm surprised Gordon Brown hasn't hit on the Bolli idea- it seems just the sort of thing he'd love.

Would you say officialdom is worse over in Italy?

Liz Hinds said...

Can you imagine and Enlgishman saying that?! An Irishman now ...

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Well done for getting the right preposition, jmb! I agree, Leslie. "Only in Italy", WW! I dunno, James - maybe it was reading all those Agatha Christie posts on your blog! WW, I will come and have a look, though I'm not a Welsh speaker. Ciao, Gleds. Well, they wouldn't have much choice , as you can't do anything in Italy without an ID card. They will stand aroung grumbling and saying, "Pazienza" but they will probably try to get the money back later. Agree re the fountain. Hi, Crushed. Don't tell GB! Oh, yes, bureaucracy is 1000 times worse here! Hi, Liz - or a certain kind of Welshman!

Chelsea + Shiloh said...

Personally I love the dye idea, I love creative protests. We had some in my home town a few years ago as they wanted to put sewage lines into our ocean.

Local teens filled the fountains we have with dish washing liquid to 'highlight' clean water. It got them on the news and was a peaceful protest.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, Gale, I think they should tint it a different colour every week. I love creative, peaceful protests, such as the one you describe.

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