Instead of biting your tongue, have an espresso

On my way to work this morning I had to skip my coffee as I had forgot to bring my money. I was offered a good coffee at work but you know, it's not the same thing when you have prepared yourself for "your" bar where you are embraced by the perfume from the coffee and the oh! so wonderfully newly baked cornettis.. 

At lunch time I was trying to do something that may seem simple even though it is an unpleasant thing to have to do - pay a fine I got early May when I was for a short break close to Porto San Giorgio in the region of Marche.

First I went to a Tabbaccheria where you usually can pay your bills. It wasn't possible for me to pay it there, but they suggested that I could go to the nearest Post Office. So I did. The Post Office was closed and the Cash machines outside were all taking the cards of their customers not giving them back. I spoke to some of the customers about my fine and they said that a 'Lottomatica' would for sure solve my problem.

I was lucky to find one not far from the Post Office but upon showing my bill/fine the owner, he got upset and said there was information missing. It was difficult to get him to calm down and let me know exactly what was missing. Finally, after me insisting quite a bit, he provided me with the valuable information that since I had been fined in Marche, then the only options available was either to go back to Marche (on the other side of Italy) or pay it in the nearest Post Office (that wasn't working). 

Back to square one.

As it now was after 1pm, shops and banks close for 'Siesta', why my options were scarse but the inner turmoil over this confusion was great. I decided to go to the Silver Bar close to Battistini Metro stop, where Bruno and Pino would pour me a finely decorated Caffe Macchiato and listen to me complaining over life. 

As I was walking towards the bar I was thinking about an advert from Illy that says: "Un'immagine vale mille Parole Ma un gusto puo lasciarti senza " which means something like: " A picture paints a thousand words But a taste can leave you speechless ". I thought to myself that it could be applied in more than one way.

The happy ending to this story is that, if nothing else works, there is something you can rely on here in Italy - that your barrista will listen to your problems and pour you an extra strong coffee to help you through the rest of the day.  I will give my fine another try tomorrow morning, after having breakfast!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you Pino, Bruno and the rest of the staff in Silver Bar!

Silver Bar
Address: Via Mattia Battistini, 76
Rome
Italy

 

Comments

[Susita]

Tesoro. will you ever pop up in via D'ovidio for a coffee together? We're missing you!!