Ciao and Buona Pasqua,
Allora- this one will take a while so you may want to consider going to the loo and/or making a cup of tea, but it is a story well worth telling to serve as a warning to you not to attempt such a foolhardy venture.
So you will remember I am not yet offically a resident in Magenta, and as a result the children are home for lunch every day- this has a relevance unforseen when first looking for a vehicle as it means I have 2 hours a day to look for cars.
So we have been 2 weeks in Italy without a car and no real sign of Hugh having the time to trip round Milan looking at the various car showrooms on the internet.
So Maurizo one of Hugh's work colleagues sends Hugh an email with details of 2 car showrooms in Magenta and also a car sales website for Italy. So I get on my bike one day and cycle off round Magenta looking for Car show rooms. I find the first one on Maurizo's list. It’s not far away. The showroom is closed this being 2pm which is a good thing as I can wander round a bit and look at cars safe in the knowledge that no one is going to approach me and gabble away in Italian at me. There are no prices in the car windows but there is a price list up in the showroom window. I establish quickly I can only afford a scooter that’s in the corner. It’s not going to be a quick process then.
Using all my skills and abilities I figure that car showrooms cluster together and that there is a possibility that where one car showroom is, another may follow. Basket on front and bag in it, I continue cycling along the road. The road widens, the cars and lorries speed up and I continue pedalling. A Citron garage, a Ford Garage and in case I am feeling extravagant a Mercedes Benz garage. I didn't even stop in that one. No prices in any of the windows of the cars, but having trawled the internet enough I guess that the only car I can afford in any of the garages is an old old White Fiat Panda which much as I instantly fall in love with what was my first car, it won't be big enough for 4 people a tent and certainly won't get us to the lakes on a regular basis.
The other garage on Maurizo's list is in the next village along- Marcello. Not far away on the map, the road looks alright. Only one roundabout seperating Magenta and Marcello. People cycle all the time. I will be fine. The map doesn't go as far as the next village but the showrooms on Via Roma and as all roads lead to--- I figure it will be a main road and not too hard to find.
The roundabout is huge, 5 exits signposts for autostrada's the lot. I have to get off at the 3rd exit. As I approach the 2nd exit a lorry decides I am too insignicant to slow down for and screaming I brake as he trundles onto the roundabout. He did see me because he looked at me. Obviously Italian. Obviously I was not good looking enough to slow for!
But I was right, Via Roma is the main road through Marcello. Monday morning so the car show room is closed, lovely cars. Too expensive. Marcello looked nice though. I might return. Cycling back I discover a 2 way cycle path that gets me across the roundabout much more safely. No signs on the other side to suggest as a cyclist I might want to consider it. Oh well I survived. I haven't got anywhere nor had to practise Italian.
So Magenta looks like a non starter for a car. I am going to have to trawl the internet more. Using that great modern invention I see that Boffalora seems to be full of showrooms. But its down the road from Marcello and I am not going on that road again on a bike. When Hugh goes for a bike ride on Saturday I send him via Boffalora (nicer than it sounds I promise) to see if anything fits the bill.
Hugh returns from his bike ride and says that there is a Big Opel garage near the Magenta Iper (supermarket) roundabout. He didn't stop but there were lots of cars. Later that day I pootle off on my bike towards Iper and the Opel garage. The Opel garage is off an even bigger roundabout, but it being 3pm on a Saturday slightly quieter. It’s all on my right so I can stick to the inside and be fairly safe. As I cycle round guess what its closed. Is nothing ever open in Italy?
I cycled all the way round and found that if I cycled over a bit of rough ground I could get to the showroom. Trying to look like this is the most normal way to get to a car showroom I cycle up to the showroom and start to wander around the edge, not daring to step into the forecourt in case I set off some alarm or release a trigger that sets off dogs. Well the showroom opens and I wander round looking at the cars. Not one has a price in the car. I am going to have to go in and ask. Well this very handsome Italian sales assistant looked at me sadly when I asked about cars under €5000 . He shook his head when I mentioned 7 seats and then showed me this battered Zafira in the corner with bits missing and with various sized bumps he had sold that morning for €4,900 .
Back to the drawing board.
Sunday night and 3 hrs on the internet I come up with 7 cars that are available in Milan, but as I have to be home for school lunch Hugh will have to progress the next bit. So Monday morning Hugh calls me. One of the cars on the list is for sale in Boffalora. Could I get there tomorrow maybe?
Ten minutes later I recieve a text from Hugh. ‘I have made an appointment for you to meet showroom owner at Via Rommei 13, Magenta at 2.30 tomo’. He will drive you to Boffalora to look at the car. I read it a couple of times - yes I have an appointment to get into a car with a strange Italian to drive to the next village to look at a car. Now I'm quite happy to throw myself into this whole learning Italian lark but even this is nerve racking.
Tuesday- So tomorrow 2.30 arrives and I am parked up (on the bike) on Via Rommei locked on the road as I think this will give the Italian Polizia a starting point for the investigation of my disappearance. No. 13 is not on the road, it goes from 9 and jumps to 15. But I wake up no 15 from their siesta and they point me round the back to Auto Palmieri. As I walk round the back I see a Silver Opel Zafira parked up and I pray that Mr Car sales man has brought the car to Magenta. He has. Also one of his staff speaks English. Good enough- I have mentally bought the car. So it has air conditioning, the tyres look ok, there are no bits missing and only a few scratches on it. I ask about it last service and I'm told its ok, December last year. There are 7 seats- one of my stipulations. I explain that I don't have residency, but my husband does. Living in Magenta proves to be a bonus and I am given information about who to see about insurance, where to go and who to ask for to obtain discount. I say I will phone my husband and organise about buying the car and call back tomorrow.
I fairly skip away, relieved that I didn't have to get into a car to Boffalora. That I have found a car that seems to go. On the phone to Hugh I tell him the car had been driven to Magenta for me. 'I wanted you to look around the showroom, thats a shame' I ignore that because I feel its best too. The car seems ok. I tell him. There is no radio though. ' Oh' is the reply and a pause, ‘well I do want a radio’. Luckily Hugh is 30km away so I cannot throttle him at this point.
Wednesday- I cycle more confidently to Alfonso my car man and say yes we will sort out insurance and the money and as he is closed on Friday I will be back Thursday with insurance, cheque etc. I get a photocopy of the vehicle details so I can get an insurance quote.
I start planning where we will go over the weekend. Lake Maggoire is looking good. I even tell my Mums that I have bought car and we will go to Lake Maggiore at the weekend. Everyone is agreed this is a good decision as it is bellissima
So I go to the Insurance company with passports, driving licences and counterpart. My insurance documents with no claims details. Residency for Hugh, Fiscal for me and Hugh and all our bank details. Once I get passed the receptionist who forgives my very pathetic attempt to say assicurazione Italian for insurance I speak to a man who speaks excellent English. The one thing I don't have is a no claims certificate for Hugh's company car. This proves costly, as Hugh has to be the owner of the car as he is the resident, so he has to be the insurance main name. But we can get insurance and if Hugh returns with €566 for 6 months insurance!!! We can pay cash or cheque. Thankfully when I speak to Hugh's insurance company I can get a letter about the no claims, its in the post that day. The joy of asking for something in a language I can speak and getting a ‘yes no problem’ answer.
Thursday- we need today a bankers draft as we don't have a cheque book yet and insurance. Hugh and I go to the bank in Magenta first thing and ask for a bank draft. Not possible apparently as Magenta is not our branch. Of course this was established in Italian with the help of the man behind us in the queue who spoke English.
Hugh is then off to Milan, apparently to work, in reality he goes to the bank and sorts out a cheque book, money and also because they are ready, the translation of the birth and marriage certificates.
I have made the arrangements that we will be at the insurance company for 5.30 to get that and then onto the car for 6pm to pick up the car. The insurance takes longer than the 15minutes I have allotted for it. As all 4 of us are hot footing it on bikes to Alfonso I phone to say we are on our way. We arrive at 6.20 to discover that Alfonso has left so we cannot buy the car tonight. But 9 o clock tomorrow morning he will be back and we can get it then. We cycle home.
Friday- Hugh has a meeting, so I leave the children in front of the telly with my mobile while I cycle off again to Alfonso complete with every document I possess and 20 minutes later I am loading the bike into the back of the car with a little note next to the steering wheel with the word gasolio written on it as the kind girl in the office has written it down after giving up with my attempts to say it. I drive off with a steering wheel and gear stick on the wrong side.
I've done it- I've bought a car in Italy. T & T were so excited they agreed to go to the supermarket in it, and I have found a petrol station where a little man fills up the car with petrol (well diesel, its a diesel engine) for you. Well he puts in €30 because I know that number!
If you've made it this far thank you. I did warn you though.
We went to Lake Maggiore. It is lovely, the snow capped mountains were the backdrop to the lake and castle views. The water was clear and we watched Grebes catch fish.
Back to commue on Tuesday to try and get residency. Taking the children and hoping they behave or we may be permanently excluded.
Lots of love
Signora McManoos xx
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