Never on Sunday

I won't say coffee bars are the heart of Italy, but they definitely have a role to play in the nervous system. They are distributed geographically across Varese, and I think across most towns. They consist of a bar less than a foot wide, an espresso machine, and display cases with pastries, candies, gelatos and other goodies. There happens to be an excellent, perhaps classic version in our building, owned by the Canziani family, staffed by the same, plus a crew of pastry chefs and barriste: the women who make the espressos, wrap up the cakes, and so on.

At Canziani, this team includes Alessandra, daughter of the owners, Stefania, Lidia and Ana (pictured here) - all nice and efficient and patient people.

They, like their counterparts elsewhere, wear these little hair nets. But not on Sunday, it seems. I asked Mr. Canziani, who seems to enjoy chatting with me about things. "Because they're out of control" he say. "No discipline. If the inspectors (vigili!) catch people working the counters with no hair nets you get fined."

"But what about Sunday?", you ask.

"The inspectors don't work on Sunday."