Report comment

Thanks, Richard, but here in Trieste it's just a bit of a challenge. A lady I spoke to on a train in Sardinia said quite categorically "nothing ever happens in this country without corruption payments". And I read in yesterday's Le Monde that Frederica Guidi resigned on Thursday as the Italian government's minister for economic development because of corrupt contract awards to her partner's company. And my taxi driver yesterday confirmed what I had noticed i e that all police cars in Italy are either Fiats or Alfa Romeos.

And there are still those voices crying out in the wilderness that this place is not corrupt.... When, if ever, will they wake up and see the writing on the wall?

PS If you ever have a custody dispute with a opponent who is German, for goodness sake get your application in in UK first, because if the German courts are seised first your client will be lucky if he or she ever even sees his or her child again.