Buongiorno gentili signori! Since last summer you know how much I love Italy. At that time you had to do without my column for three months because I rode my racing bike from Berlin to Palermo. Questo giro era si bello that I will “repeat” the tour. During my preparations, I came across an “offerta speciale” that I don’t want to withhold from you. The smart Italians made me the offer to settle down as a “pensioner” in the south of their country. There I had to, say(d) the signori, tax my income with only 7 – in letters: seven – percent.
Now please don’t suspect that I’ve drunk too much Barolo, no, the Italians’ offer to take just 7 – again in words: sette – per cento of my (worldwide) earnings if I change into their boot, me between Napoli and Palermo or Sardinia, comes from the Ministry of Finance in Rome. What do you think of this offer? Should you accept the offer? Or do you even have to accept it because you simply can’t refuse it?