Nice thoughts. About Italians.

In any sizeable Italian city, parking can be a serious and perplexing problem. When traveling in Sardinia over the past weekend, we had to find parking away from our bed and breakfast place. In the central part of Nuoru. Wasn't easy. Italy doesn't have the parking ramps of American cities. And wow! So many restrictions for on-street and off-street parking. Suitable parking comes at a premium. And it doesn't help when one is unfamiliar with the city. We have been known to get frustrated and hopelessly lost. We were in that dire predicament the other night. I almost felt like abandoning our car. But I kept driving. Aimlessly. Not knowing where to go. Or what to do next. We'd stop from time to time. And my true love would ask in Italian for directions and advice. I've got to say something nice about Italians. They are obliging. They take their time. And not only give you verbal directions, but animated ones. With their flailing hands and arms. But we continued on our lost ways. For a long time. Until two gentlemen pedestrians found us overnight off-street parking. For free. Only 3 or 4 blocks from our bed and breakfast. I was about to kiss the sacred parking ground. We waved goodbye to the gentlemen. And voiced a cheerful arrivedirci. I fell asleep that night, thinking only nice thoughts. About helpful Italians. --Jim Broede