Italian News Round-Up

So the story goes like this...

Silvio Berlusconi phoned me on the weekend and said, 'Ciao Toby. I am calling you for two reasons: The first reason is to tell you how fabulous I am. The second reason is to tell you to do more stories about Italy.'

I replied by saying, 'Silvio, you crazy chipmunk, my blog is supposed to be about English language culture, not Italian culture.'

But this was not enough for the persistent little chipmunk and so he said, 'Toby, if you do not do more stories about Italy, I will phone you everyday and sing to you.'

What choice do I have?


Now, I'm no expert... but I think, if you want a plane to fly, you need fuel. Troubles continue at Alitalia


Meanwhile in Naples, forget about bread the way ya' mama used to make - what about bread the way The Godfather makes it!

Yikes! Poisoned bread. You know, you Italians really need to do what we English did. Take all your corrupt rich people, put them in 'The House of Lords' and call them the Aristocracy ;)


And Sabina Guzzanti, my favourite Italian comedian (what?! Ok... I admit it, I've never heard of her before), is in deep doo-doo for making making jokes about The Pope

Making fun of The Pope - what's the big deal? Now, if she was making fun of The Queen - that would be a big deal.

In England, if you make fun of The Queen, you are put in a cage with The Queen's corgi dogs - and they eat you alive.


Oh God. Silvio just phoned me. He said he's going to phone me everyday and sing to me, to say thank you, for writing about Italy.

Nuts.