All For Naught Wrought Iron?

After having seen a friend's Italian wrought iron fruit bowl with a built-in banana hanger, it jumped to the top of my list of desired Neopolitan souvenirs. (Of course, I'm still learning about all my options!) It is handmade in Italy, decorative, holds a ton of fruit in the bowl, and saves space while keeping the bananas separate from the other fruits to prevent spoilage. Maybe it's the dietitian in me, but I knew I had to have one! (That huge yellow fruit is an Italian egnazio hybrid melon...it's white on the inside, but tastes much like a honeydew melon.)

So, finally, even when my veteran friends couldn't make it as planned, I was determined to find Ciro's and Luigi's wrought iron stores. Melissa was game to be co-pilot, and even taught me how to plug in the GPS coordinates that Linda had serendipitously provided just in the nick of time that morning. And after a major run-in with some branches on a narrow road (sorry, honey), and after safely driving through the busiest Italian intersection I've driven through yet, we made it to the stores!

Rumor has it Ciro and Luigi are brothers who don't get along, hence their stores are side by side and not one and the same. Ciro speaks some English, has more simple designs (his description, not mine), sells mostly by order, and is generally less expensive. Luigi speaks no English, has more of a selection, brings his stuff to the NEX now and then, and is more expensive. Ciro doesn't make fruit bowls. Luigi does. Ciro was open that day. Luigi was not. Oh well, at least we know where we're going for next time!

So, this week, we returned again, determined--even though I had to bring along my littlest shopper (which I try to avoid at all costs). Luigi was open that day. And Luigi had one fruit bowl. Check. Plus three decorative demijohn stand sets on order. Check, check, check.

The High Price of Gas

This may be stating the obvious, but gas is really expensive here. It's about 1.7 Euro for a liter, which translates to about 6.50 Euro per gallon, or almost $9 per gallon! Fortunately, we receive 400 liters of NATO gas coupons per month to subsidize the cost. But it's still about $5 per gallon with the coupons.

The coupons help a lot, especially because you can stockpile them from month to month. When you live on base and only have one car like we do, they go further. So far, they have covered all our gas expenses, even with taking a fairly long road trip about once a month. Even with driving 80 to 100 miles per hour!

They are only valid for a fiscal year (from Oct. 1 to Sept 30), so yesterday was the day to trade in any coupons you haven't used in the last year. You get a credit for them and can apply it to your October monthly ration. The downside: if you've stockpiled them for a whole year to be able to travel when you want, then all of a sudden you're back to only 400 liters for the month of October.

You can also only use the coupons in two chains of gas stations, Agip (soon to be ENI) and Esso. But there are many Agip and Esso gas stations, so it shouldn't present a problem.

Notice I say shouldn't present a problem. Oh, the "discussions" Brian and I have had about refueling in Italy, and it's only been 4 months! Here's the gist:

"Someone" likes to wait till the gas warning light goes on, then insist we have at least 70 miles left (while continuing to drive at 80 to 100 miles per hour) and that we'll be fine. "Someone" is usually driving, which normally is a good thing.

"Someone else" likes to be efficient and refuel when we're about at about a 1/4 tank and happen to pass an Agip or Esso conveniently located along the road we're on. "Someone else" also can't help to envision what a major inconvenience running out of gas would mean, especially in a foreign country. In fact, due to "someone else's" active imagination, we were once so low on fuel that "someone else" had to insist on being left behind at the agriturismo near Lecce with the dog and kids while "someone" went alone to find a gas station. (It was a gamble, but "someone" did return, in case you were wondering.)

So, indeed we have found there is a high price of gas in Italy, and furthermore, it's not just economical...if only the gas coupons could help alleviate the emotional costs! Nevertheless, there will still be more road trips in our future.