Mrs Sensible read my blog at the weekend and told suggested to me that I write something useful. Something that would help anyone who decides to travel to Italy. So here is my price comparison post.
Mrs Sensible is responsible for making sure I eat properly and she therefore buys the groceries. I don’t really take much notice of the cost of mundane things, such as bread, milk, cheese and butter my interest, is in the cost of wine and grappa. However in the interest of blogging I have made an effort.
Benzina or petrol as the English call it, is rising at an incredible rate. I was amazed to find out why the Italian government justify some of the taxes on a litre of Benzina.
Here are some of the taxes that make up the cost of petrol.
0.00103 euro for the War of Ethiopia 1935 – 1936 (yep, Mussolini started the trend)
0.00723 euro for the Suez crisis of 1956
0.00516 euro for the Vajont dam burst of 1963
0.00516 euro for the Florence floods of 1966
0.00516 euro for the Belice earthquake of 1968
0.0511 euro for the Friuli earthquake of 1976
0.0387 euro for the Irpinia earthquake of 1980
0.106 euro for the Lebanon war of 1983
0.0114 euro for the intervention in Bosnia/Herzegovina 1996
0.020 euro for renewal of transport workers (autoferrotranvieri) contract 2004
0.0073 euro for conservation and maintenance of ‘beni culturali’
0.040 euro to finance influx of immigrants due to Libya crisis 2011
0.0089 euro Liguria/Tuscany floods autumn 2011
0.082 euro Save Italy decree 2012 (Not sure it has worked)
Near my house there are two petrol stations. Tamoil charges €1.82 a litre for petrol and TE who are less than 100 metres away charges €1.69 a litre for petrol. Now you will be wondering why there is such a big difference in the price. Let me enlighten you.
Mrs Sensible uses TE,
Mrs Sensible’s Garage TE. €1.69 a litre
This is an unmanned garage.
Mrs Sensible can’t buy important things like chocolates, sweets or drinks because no one works here.
Mrs Sensible has to pay for her fuel using the little machine.
The garage attendant
She then has to don protective clothing and fill her own car up.
Protective Clothes. PS This is not Mrs Sensible.
When this is done she walks back to the machine and collects her receipt. It may even be raining, it does sometimes.
Mrs Sensible’s receipt
I on the other hand prefer to use Tamoil
My Garage, as you can see sometimes it is not sunny in Italy
At this garage I don’t even have to leave the comfort of my warm car. Maria will fill up my car, clean my windshield take my money and return with my receipt. I once discussed the benefits of both garages with Mrs Sensible but she has this strange fixation with the difference of 13 cents a litre.
My receipt a little less fuel for my €20.00
I once asked Maria why her petrol was so much more expensive than the garage down the road and she shrugged her shoulders shook out her hair and said “non lo so”
Maria my garage attendant
Englishman in Italy 
well I am sure Maria, the one in the last picture, probably provides all-inclusive services…. ie OTHER services indeed…. wise of Mrs Sensible not to visit. Has Mrs Sensible seen this post (and the picture of Maria?) or are you going to delete it from Blogoland?
and by the way, is that all true, the above figures? or are you just making it up as you go along?
I mean, tax to pay for the war in Ethiopia of 1936?…. gonna be kidding, right?
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HI, Our Adventure in Croatia, Maria does do other services, she will check the water, oil and tyre pressure.
Delete as in censorship? Nope I can’t find the delete button.
The above figures are true, even amazing and little bizarre but remember this is Italy, a country that can vote Berlusconi in for three terms. I am searching as we speak (or even blog) to see if Italy won the war in Ethiopia and how many times they changed sides. Oops I might have to find the delete button 🙂
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I doubt that Italy ever won the war in Ethiopia…. only in a country like Italy would you still be taxed for a war which took place over 70 years ago… totally ridiculous and an example of why the situation is what it is in Italy…. my family keep telling me I am so lucky to have gone to the UK, and – for my own sake – don’t come back !
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Mrs Sensible read your comment and waved a finger at me. I think she is hinting that we should be in the UK. But then what would I write about???
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the weather?
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There are only so many post you can write about rain.
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oh but there are 100 different types of expression for “rain” in Britain, that don’t exist anywhere else… 🙂
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Just like there are 100 different types of pasta or even coffee in Italy 🙂
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Oh but you are mistaken!
British taxpayers are still paying for the war against Napoleon, for example, and also for most of the military campaigns that led to conquering countries in the British Empire up to 1751, for example. Those bonds are called “consols” and you can see the interest rate on that debt each day in the Financial Times. It’s a special kind of British government perpetual debt that will NEVER be paid off, instead interest will be paid on it till the end of the world – though the British government has the right to pay it off should they ever decide to. And so far they haven’t…
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I didn’t know that. I will have a read, next time I managed to lay my hands on a F T.
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By the way, I’m sure I’m the only person who find government debt so interesting, but there are references to these “consols” in many great works of English literature, including novels by Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Thackeray, Somerset Maugham etc.
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gosh must read up on that! those wars are expensive for grandchildren and great and great and great-grandchildren… 😦
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😆
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Ha haaa! The photos of “Maria” had me laughing like a drain! I’ll have to start buying petrol myself some time and see if I can’t find a “Mario” to fill up my tank, if you know what I mean.
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I am sure there is a hunk of a guy working in a garage in Sicily. In fact Giuseppe works at a garage in Roccalumera but I think he is 87 although he has most of his own teeth.
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Most of the guys who work at petrol stations near me are the wrong side of 60 and look pregnant. I’ll have to throw the search a little further afield….
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🙂 I am in Sicily during X Mas. If I find a hunk in a garage I will let you know.
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Thanks me dear! You should probably let Mrs. Sensible know, too. That way she’ll do all the petrol buying for you, and you can relax watching the footie.
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My car needs a little work, can you recommend a good garage attendant?
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Hilarious post 🙂
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Thanks journeyman, I am glad you liked it. It is all true.
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Awesomee blog you have here
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Than you for your kind comment. I am glad you like my little blog of madness
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