"It's not butter"

This is this how the streets are cleaned?

We have been here for 9 months and only one fine; pretty good I think?!?  The fine was given because mercoldi (Wednesday) is street cleaning at an un-godly hour, (I tell you this because the "wererererererer" usually wakes me before the children do).  If your car is parked in the street, then you are fined, 30€ something in fact, (that I am stil currently in debt to the Milano Commune for), as those street sweepers can not get by the cars; those kerbs must be clean.  Even though not done by hand, this is obviosly a job that is taken seriouisly.

Anyhow, if you did not know, parking here is like bucks night in a strip joint, absolute mayhem, and no sense of control.  You park on the kerb, double park, footpath, why not park on top of another car like Inspector Gadget if mechanics allow?  All I am saying, is it is like a comuunal amusement park.  We left the house for an outing today and as fast as you can say "It's not butter" the carpark is gone.  Literally speaking, it is still there, a vespa has parked in my single car space on the side walk, (if I was a true Italian, I could squeeze in there, or on top!)  Not yet a true Italian, (I wax too much), the car is now parked on the kerb, and not a 'Rockstar' car park, (our reference to the closest car park to our gate entrance).



Ha ha my car is bigger than yours!!!

Anyhow, I go to move the car at night time to safe ground, (mercoldi tomorrow and do not want to justify dirty streets and another fine),  to find that I have been parked in by the LAW!!!!  Would you believe it???  So now not only is double parking 'a-ok' by hard working citizens, but the LAW (not yelling, just trying to empahsise my point), can do it too.  So I casually return to the apartment, (it is "witching hour"/ bed time, I am in no rush to be present), I retrieve my camera, and by the time I return, cars infront and behind me are gone.  So now I move my car off the street.  Who looks the fool now?  There is a police car parked in the middle of the road un-necessarrily, just screaming "I am enjoying a good happy hour, come get me later!"



Oh sorry, am I in you way???

So my endeavour to find an off-road park is not ABC.  The driveway that enters me to the land of heavenly parks is blocked by another patron thinking "I am too cool to park properly", "I am probably wearing my sunglasses at night", and "Yes, I am enjoying happy hour with my fellow police officer!"   So after a lot of driving and reversing, I manage a, shall we call "Roadie carpark", (not quite rockstar, but I still have a back stage pass).  Close, but not too far away that I plan to sell a child from the walk from the car to the apartment.

Long story short, (more like I made a short story long), I park where I want.  Not because I am arrogant, but because I have a funny feeling that if I parked my car in the middle of the road, and not on the kerb, the street cleaners would not give me a fine.  Another reason why I love Milan. Sensibility is soooo overated!