At the risk of sounding like an abject wanker ...

[blamebrampton]

The pensione where I am staying is near to Pliazza della Repubblica, and is currently being serenaded by a very fine bel canto sporano who has run through Voi Che Sapete and Nessun Dorma and several Eurovision faves and has now begun a medley of the sort of songs Sarah Brightman likes, but, happily, sounds a thousand times better than the former Mrs Lloyd Webber. Oh gods, Con te partiro ... she still sounds great, though!

Um. Travel to Florence. It's really quite good. Oh, and if you do, tip the waiters sparingly, over-generous Americans used to their poor downtrodden waitstaff are apparently spoiling the Florentine variety for the locals, who have begun to complain.

Comments

[hollyxu.livejournal.com]

Is it true that they usually include the tips in the menu price already? (It's not usual practice in Canada and people generally feel tricked when they leave a tip and end up paying for it in the bill.)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

The system here is like that in most of the non US-world, wait staff are paid a decent wage with appropriate conditions. I hate to sound anti-American, but it is criminal the way that yours are treated. Then again, it's criminal the way most US workers are treated ...