italiafile

Thursday dawned bright and cloudless which,unusually, meant a trip to IKEA. The Swedish giant has recently opened in Naples, after a wait of years - it was the Camorra apparently, which was making things difficult. Even now, it is rumoured that the Swedes pay huge bribes to stop the store burning down in the night. Being carless I went on the bus, which meant I arrived at 9.20. Far from being the only person waiting, I joined an expectant throng and duly sat down waiting for the punctilious staff to open on the dot of 10. Imagine my surprise when at 9.45 the doors were flung open and the horde rushed headlong into the area behind the tills where a free breakfast of coffee and Swedish bisuits awaited. Now, any of you who have tasted IKEA coffee be assured it is no better in Italy. It just comes in smaller cups. Neapolitans who cannot turn down anything that is offered free tried their level best to drink the vile brew but, like me, failed. The puckered lips, strange glint in the eye and visible retching by all and sundry made me realise that the biscuits were only there to take the taste away.

Back at home, my arguments with Fastweb - my telephony supplier - are reaching a pitch only hitherto seen with NTL and BT. I discovered today that the only way to get anything done was to keep ringing back until they got bored of me. I have been waiting for a 'trasloco' for a month, as I am moving flats, and need a new line installing in the new flat, with subsequent transferring of my account and phone number. It hasn't been done, despite three promises that it would be effected by the end of August. Now they tell me it WILL be done tomorrow morning. Harrumph.. and I hope I eat that word.