How many Italians does it take...

Actually, how many minutes does it take to pick up your car from a pair of Italian brothers who are mechanics? 60! Our mechanics, Giorgio and Mario, are fantastic. They came with the car, so to speak. They are friendly and knowledgeable and are the Click and Clack in our lives. It's important for us to have a good mechanic, since we are driving a 1998 Opel with 161,000 km on it. This afternoon we went to pick up our car that we had left with them on Wednesday before our trip. It needed a couple of inspections completed before October. When we arrived, we were greeted and kissed and offered coffee. Then, instead of paying and driving away, we chatted for almost an hour about cars, my Mini Cooper, the speed limit in the US, trips we had taken and hoped to take in Italy, American politics, war and the economy. By the time we left (only 90 euros later!), my head was spinning. By the time I caught on to one topic of conversation, we were two topics beyond. Gotta love the social lubrication involved in the simplest transactions! But we know that if we're ever in trouble with the car, Giorgio and Mario have our backs.