Cemeteries

Those who know of my predilection for cemetery picnics are either fellow enthusiasts or mystified nay-sayers - very rarely does the suggestion of feasting amongst the tombstones provoke apathy. But really, what could be nicer? A calm idyll in the centre of the city, dotted with sun-dappled groves of evergreens and lawn, and all around you the solemn yet peaceful air of eternal rest (or eterno riposo). If I were one of the formerly mobile, I'd be thrilled to have a bit of lively company six feet over. I've never felt disrespectful or sacrilegious in my appreciation of the plots and their permanent tenants - in fact I'm pleased to integrate them back into the community, albeit briefly. A man occasionally practices trumpet in one of its rotundas; many more use its main road as a pleasant shortcut to the university. The cemetery is dead; long live the cemetery.

Supermarkets

Approximately 2 weeks' worth of anticipation was rewarded with a recent visit to the Piedemonte's Supermarket cafe. With its soothing wood-panelled interiors, erratic chorus of register beeps, and a spectacular vista over the catwalk aisles below, it was easy to imagine that this mezzanine was indeed what heaven really looked like. The combination of hysteria and free rum-balls made for lively conversation, interrupted frequently by bouts of anecdotes and sympathy. A strict no-photography rule was outlined by a low-key but insistent store manager, but this merely fuelled the illicit enjoyment of our everyday surrounds. Service was excellent, atmosphere defiantly of another era, and all in all, the 30-odd minutes we spent were 30 odd minutes.