Take a Number!

Well readers, spring is in the air! Along with spring come tentative plans for summer travel. Given the fact that my little family just welcomed a new member, I thought I'd better get cracking on the passport situation in order to be ready to fly when the time comes.

Some online research told me I'd need a birth certificate. No problem, I thought, let me head to the town hall and grab that. I woke up bright and early, bundled up the baby and headed over to the neighborhood circoscrizione.

First things first, TAKE A NUMBER said the grouchy signora at the "welcome" desk. I wish I had brought rubber gloves, the number machine looked like something out of a horror film. I hit the button, hoped that I took the right one (directions in Italy tend to be ambiguous), and then put some sanitizer on my little fingers. When they finally called my number, I gave them my request form and was told that the birth certificate would take 40 days to procure. WHAT?! 40 days seemed like a long time, but hey we are in Italy, pazienza!

After our 40 day wait, I headed back to pick up the blessed birth certificate. Guess what, CHIUSO! Closed, come back tomorrow. Ok, what's one more day. Indeed, the next day the heavens parted and yet another brush with the devil known as Italian bureaucracy had been successfully dealt with!