I went yesterday to an outer suburb in search of a charger for my speakers.  Waiting for the bus home  I chatted to –  where I wrote ‘chatted to’,  read signed, laughed and did charades with – a group of women at the bus stop who were going into Florence city centre to visit their bambini or to do shopping.  Then I stepped onto a bus.

If you have been to Italy you understand two things, the uniforms of officials are impressive and the rules around transport are stupid.  As soon as I stepped on the bus man dressed in a VERY striking uniform came up to me – I thought to sell a ticket, he thought to fine me 50 Euros for not having a ticket.  He wanted my passport – it was in the apartment.  He wanted 50 Euros cash, I didn’t have 50 Euros cash.  I was happy to get off the bus as it hadn’t even left the stop, he wanted to hit someone because he was in a uniform and wasn’t getting what he wanted.  Then the Number 56 Bus Ladies made their move.

The woman who I initially asked for directions started yelling at the conductor, her friends joined in and soon the whole 56th Bus Battalion swung into action.  In the end an old lady gave me one of her tickets and stamped it for me, cursing the official with what were apparently good, ribald Tuscan insults  causing great laughter (what is Italian for ‘big hat, small ????).  Finally the inspector retreated in disgust at the next stop and I got escorted by some feisty, old, laughing women back into the city.

Although I have been considering hiring a push-bike to travel around, what I would really love is to a hire scooter.  It would be much better than walking or catching buses. And I can picture myself riding a scooter through the streets of Firenze.  Sadly Linda can also picture me riding a scooter through the streets of Florence, however the image she gets is vastly different to mine.  It won’t happen. (If I did  hire a scooter I think the legal term is ‘irreconciliable differences’).  So for now it is shank’s pony or the bus.  And as I travel around Florence I can ponder how much different recent European history may have been if Mussolini had enlisted feisty Ladies Bus Battalions instead of relying on his Italian men in those wonderful uniforms.  Makes you wonder.

Ross