There are few better places to eat well than Italy. Creamy pasta, sweet gelato and rich coffee. Every tourist has had the experience of happily stuffing themselves, only to be shocked when – especially at the higher-end restaurants of Rome or Florence – the bill is equally hearty.
A German homeless man found a solution. Instead of paying, he simply made cryptic excuses, telling staff “the Italians are paying” or “the Catholic Church has paid”. He has been arrested, of course, but the amounts stolen are considered too small to be worthy of more than a ticking off. So Roland Siedler has been returned to the streets of Florence, just in time for dinner.
Really, Mr Siedler was seduced by glamour. Because the wonderful thing about Italy is that there are thousands of small family-restaurants, where even a pauper can eat like a king. Next time you are in Italy, check them out. And if you hear a man speaking German at the next table, perhaps tell the waiter – sotto voce, of course – that you won’t be paying for his meal.