Wednesday, September 30

Tante Belle Cose - Sept 09

September always starts out with a bang, and in our Buone Notizie category, September doesn't disappoint here either.

One of the best news in town is that the Attico (rooftop apartment/terrace) that a B star built overlooking the Colosseum was actually torn down. Let's see if the trend continues...or if, it's only valid for certain people on certain days.
Judging from the amount of buildings that have gone up all over Rome, she obviously didn't have connections in high places.


400,000 Romans had reason to rejoice when their parking tickets issued up until 2004 were given an amnesty, of sorts. They only have to pay the original fine.
Let's see if any will actually cough up the cash.

Thousands of Colfs (those wonderful women mostly from Eastern Europe and the Philippines) who spend their days and nights looking after old people and babies got registered to stay legally in Italy in another amnesty.
It's great to see that the Italian government knows that without these women (and some men), the aging population would be left to their own demise -- and, considering there are not enough structures to support the aged, well, it would be costly, indeed to provide assistance.

And, in a surprising sight to see, you can now purchase basic reading glasses (even a bit snazzy) at newstands around town.
Why does this make the news? Because a few years back, stores, seemingly market-driven, started selling the eyeglasses. The Pharmacist unions started striking and protesting and hooting and hollering about how it was 'unfair competition'...(Huh??!!) and threatened their monopoly status. The glasses went off the shelves.
It would appear that the wily news agents are either more powerful or simply pulling the wool over the pharmacists' eyes on this one. Either way, consumers have a right to rejoice. Oh -- and the best news yet? Yours for only €9.90!!!

3 comments:

Dave514 said...

Francesca:
Well, you asked for it, well, now you're going to get it.

Why shouldn't an apartment overlook the Colosseum. By the way, did you hear the news about the Domus Aurea?

What does "Colf" stand for or mean?


Finally, a little competition in the marketplace. Yes, but can one newsstand sell reading glasses cheaper than another? That's sorta bugged me the whole idea of price fixing so as to keep the little man in business. Where i lived in Roma at the corner of the Vias Licia and Gallia it was one mass of tiny stores each barely eeking out a living. All rather sad and sorry.

Jacques said...

ColF = Collaboratore Familiare from Italian Wikipedia

Irreverent Italy said...

Well, it all gets a bit more complicated now that zoning laws were taken away (a few years back, I might add).
I find pricing a wee wee bit more flexible (give or take a few cents) esp. with the arrival of megastores, but what kills me is..

On my little street in swanky Milan, we're talking about 12 buildings. And about 8 bars. Then a gelateria. Followed by 3 more. I think one of each would have done quite well...now, it's very piece meal.

I never thought I was for zoning laws until I saw this.

As for terraces overlooking Colosseums, no way. Got to keep the buildings and the architecture as it was. In Assisi they call it the eye - view. Nothing can change (just don't look over toward Perugia where anything goes...)