Yesterday morning found me carrying out a mildly tedious annual piece of admin (the collection of certificates proving a clean criminal record required amongst other bumpf for a guide’s pass at the Vatican Museums) on the site of what was once the largest plague hospital in Europe.
Your story of the queue for the certificates reminded me so much of the Illinois department of motor vehicles. A person could/would queue there for hours. It too, was the stuff of legends/nightmares. Under the new governor (and with some help from everyone being home due to Covid) the system was overhauled. In the last year it has never taken me more than 15 minutes to complete even the most complex of transactions (transferring the title to a vehicle) and often it is even shorter than that. It was quite novel the first few times... Sadly, there is no adjacent tasty pizza.
😅 It used to be the same here in Melbourne at the Italian Consulate. Until recently, renewing our passports was always such a stomach-churning ordeal. Queues long waiting times and officious functionaries! Anyway, all improved now with an online appointment booking system and minimal contact 😅
Thank you for making me laugh this morning. I've spent many hours marvelling at my Roman friends' battles with bureaucracy. Just going to the post office to pay for electricity was an adventure. You have my deepest admiration for all the joy your posts and photos have given me now that I am unlikely to ever go to Rome again. And congratulations on your most precise appointment and escape after ten minutes. Who knows, it might start a trend.
Your story of the queue for the certificates reminded me so much of the Illinois department of motor vehicles. A person could/would queue there for hours. It too, was the stuff of legends/nightmares. Under the new governor (and with some help from everyone being home due to Covid) the system was overhauled. In the last year it has never taken me more than 15 minutes to complete even the most complex of transactions (transferring the title to a vehicle) and often it is even shorter than that. It was quite novel the first few times... Sadly, there is no adjacent tasty pizza.
😅 It used to be the same here in Melbourne at the Italian Consulate. Until recently, renewing our passports was always such a stomach-churning ordeal. Queues long waiting times and officious functionaries! Anyway, all improved now with an online appointment booking system and minimal contact 😅
Thank you for making me laugh this morning. I've spent many hours marvelling at my Roman friends' battles with bureaucracy. Just going to the post office to pay for electricity was an adventure. You have my deepest admiration for all the joy your posts and photos have given me now that I am unlikely to ever go to Rome again. And congratulations on your most precise appointment and escape after ten minutes. Who knows, it might start a trend.