trip
Miramare castle yesterday morning. Several coachfuls of loud Italian teenagers on school trips (the same ones who walk arm in arm in rows of twelve down Oxford street). Asked the local tropical park attendant about the exhibition and said we would not be able to go because my mother can't walk very far and climb steps. He got all excited and said he could pick her up with her car-turned-ambulance. We politely declined and could see the disappointment in his eyes. We'll go and play with his budgie some other time. Stopped at the bar and got charged for an extra Coke that we did not have.
Stopped for lunch in a café where they had a "Barmaid required" sign. I believe that in the UK it is illegal to specify the gender when advertising for a vacancy - unless the job involves the flashing of boobs (I tried and tried to be hired to model bridalwear for Alexander McQueen but always got turned down). Did not get charged for a Coke we did have. Relief as the local economy found its natural balance. Asked and obtained a stamp on our passports upon entering Slovenia, which has just become a member of NATO and is joining the European European Union in four days. Then turned around and drove back to Italy via the tax free shop located in the no man's land between the Slovene and Italian borders. Wondered if we had both Italian and Slovene rifles pointed at us. Wondered also which law applies there. Dr B. bought fifty-six chocolate-covered marzipan Mozart balls to take back to work for his colleagues. Dr B. is a nice man. Do you bring back presents to the office from your holidays? I like my workmates but honestly, they can buy their own chocolate. Visited Gorizia castle (closed, so just walked around it and enjoyed the view), and a Diesel discount end-of-line shop, which sadly got more attention from us than the castle did. Made loud farting sounds every time we spotted a Berlusconi poster in the streets; the latest campaign features his face-lift staring confidently in the distance alongside a list of the benefits his self-effacing services produced for Italians over the past couple of years. Higher pensions. More employment. Felt it was my duty as an Italian-born to teach Dr B. to say "A Robin Hood… Ma vaffanculo!" ("Oi, Robin Hood: f**k off!").