All in a Day's Work of Tourism

For the first time yesterday we had someone try to short change us - at a national monument besides.

The price was 10 euros per person. The cashier asked if we were entitled to the reduced price for people 65 or over.

We said yes, we showed our dates of birth on our driving licenses. He said that was fine, put the 20  euros I had given him in the cash register, closed the cash register and gave us a big smile.

I said "How much is the ticket?" "Ten euro each", he said. "How much is the ridotto (reduced price)?" He answered "Six euros, and I owe you eight". He reopened the cash register and gave us the 8 euros change again with a big smile.

Just as we walked in, I had noticed that he was taking money from the cash register and putting it in his coat pocket. No doubt someone ahead of us had not realized they were entitled to some change.

You might think you have to be stupid to fall for it. However, it can be very confusing when you do not speak the language fluently, and you are not familiar with the money. It is easy to conclude you misunderstood.

In the evening, we were stopped by a woman who asked us in Italian what was the room we had just come out of at the library.

I started explaining in my belabored Italian that it was the reading room where they had newspapers and magazines in various languages.

She stopped me and said "Ce serait plus simple de me l'expliquer en français".

She was a French woman who for many years has lived in Italy. I had never thought about the type of accent I might have in Italian. Naturally it turns out to be an obvious French accent!

Somehow having lived in English for over 30 years I wondered if I might not have an English accent.