A great Italian invention is the bridge. Not the bridge as in Ponte Vecchio etc - though of course that type of bridge is nice too. What I'm talking about is when there is a public holiday mid-week, for example today it's the first of May - the holiday for workers, so by putting Monday in as a day off you get a four day weekend. Fabulous! This is known as creating a bridge (ponte). Even if you don't have a day off to create a bridge, at least a mid-week hol breaks the week up.
In England all public holidays are on a Monday so there's no bridge building. If I remember correctly Berlusconi proposed for Italy to be this way as so many work days are lost with the Italian way. They did not vote him back in.
Benvenuti/welcome!
A few tales and insights about my daily life and adventures in Naples. Enjoy! ... All words and photos Copyright© 'Delinissima' 2007-2008
10 comments:
Hee hee - yes Italians love their "bridge". I love the way that Italians completely lack the workaholic guilt which many of us foreigners have internalised. I know I feel slightly guilty sitting around at 12 on a Tuesday in my pyjamas, drinking coffee and reading your blog. But hey, if that's the Italian way and I'm all for it.
When in Rome...It's important that we integrate :)
I said good-bye to my workaholic ways after the production company I used to work for shut down two weeks before Christmas. We received only two weeks severance.
Enjoy the holiday!
That's a hard time to find out about a job ending, just before Christmas. :(
I'm glad you didn't mean the Ponte Vecchio! The Ponte today means it's been heaving the last few days! One nice thing though - they aren't like Bank Holidays in the UK - money I was waiting for cleared into my account today - wouldn't have happened on a "Bank Holiday"!!
Hmm, I have mixed feelings. It's great I guess if you are a hired employee but during the majority of my time here I've been freelance so days "off" actually just add up to lost work and lost Euros. August and around Christmas time can be a real killer - you feel compelled to take vacation or go home because that's when you have time off but you can't really relax because you know you are spending money in a period when you aren't actually bringing any in!
Hey - Was good to read your post but you are mistaken! The Italians did in fact vote Berlusconi back in to power IN ITALY - It was the Italians abroad (mainy from south America like myself) who preveted him from re-gaining power!
Just a little important fact!
What is funny though - is that Berlusconi amended the law to allow Italian citizens not resident in Italy to vote (as prior you could only vote if you were a citizen resident in Italy) However, they did not vote him in. So, had he not change the law Italy would still be under his rule!
Michellanea, I can well imagine that the ponte concept isn't suitable for everyone.
Anonymous, that's interesting. He shot himself in the foot there didn't he!?
Yes, he did indeed - he was scared that he would not be voted back in so tired everything in his power to ensure he would..... little did he know!?
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