Venice: first impressions ...

Having just landed in London I just thought of ... writing in the blog? Not really. Actually I thought of going straight to bed and having a rest. But then I decided that first impressions count, se here they are ...

How was Venice? Gorgeous! Just look at the picture ...

You will have to wait until tomorrow for a bit more of colour about the city, the people ... the answers to how the city messures against my hopes ... but here is another advance ...

By the way, have you ever heard of a 'service charge' (in a restaurant) that is not really a 'service charge'? I am not sure if this is this a new trend I was unaware of ... or perhaps a new creative way to help customers to part company with their savings. Let me expand (so perhaps someone can correct me from my mistake).

We went for dinner yesterday to a nice ristorante in Piazza Santa Margharita, Venice. Quite atmospheric, with a diverse menu, good quality food. At the end of the dinner (as you would expect) I was presented with the bill which, as in many other places in Venice, included a cover charge ('coperto') of €2 per person (not too bad considering other Venetian ristorantes and trattorias) and a 12.5% service charge ('servizio'). As I handed some cash to settle the meal, the waiter asked me in a relatively correct English: 'Do you want the change back, Sir?' (At this, a big smile was all you could notice on his face.)

I was a bit surprised, since the question was both quite direct and possibly unnecessary since both the cover charge and the service charge were included in the bill. Furthermore, the change was an extra 10% on the already inflated bill! Assuming something was lost in translation I naively (and somewhat apologetically) answered: 'Yes, please. I thought the service charge was included in the bill. Or perhaps I am mistaken?'. To which the waiter immediately replied (having lost his until then ubiquitous smile): 'Excuse Sir, but in Italy the service charge doesn't go to the waiters. Do you still want the change back?'

Is this the way it works now? Is the 'service charge' not supposed to reward the 'service' provided by the staff? Since the 'service charge' was automatically included in the bill, not only we are not given the choice to reward or not the service received, but do we need to pay twice for the service? I would have gladly rewarded the cook (since the food was really good) ... but rewarding the service twice? What service anyway? After all it was not that good!

In the end I got the change back ... but I would like to hear if I was mistaken after all!
And in any case, I am glad to say that the trip was superb ... despite of all these small fun things that make travelling one of the best things in life!