Google blog searches are not really that good.  If you search for a blog by relevance (the default) and then search by date, some blogs that appear in the first are omitted from the second!  Freaky.  So, say you search for ‘milan italy’.  The first search results page shows blog A, updated 15 minutes ago.  Then click on the search by date (which lists them in reverse order (i.e. last updated showing at the top of the page) and sometimes, blog A is not there!  How can that be?

Anyway, onto the subject.  Whilst doing the search above I can across the following ‘blog': How can the New York Times be a blog anyway?

And what a load of rubbish it is.  Italians are not happy with the ban.  However, it is, generally tolerable.  The reason it is tolerable is that, generally, the weather is not so bad that it is impossible to go outside.  Although, even the bar downstairs (which is about the size of a postage stamp) has recently installed a covered area over its outside tables with one of those gas patio heaters.  I guess that was because less people were using the bar (being as how you can’t smoke in there anymore).  Now, why would they go to that expense if their trade has not been hit by the smoking ban?

And the restaurants find it frustrating when, in the middle of a meal, the whole table of 10 people suddenly leave the table for about 20 minutes to go outside to smoke.  You might think there’s no problem with that?  But look at it this way, if the people were inside they would continue to drink, which means more revenue and, probably, they would not take quite so long over the meal which means the table would be free earlier and, therefore, they might get an extra sitting in.  Also the staff could better handle the tables without the need to keep watching to see when the table returns.

And don’t believe it when they say that the Italians respect the law.  Where I work people smoke in the building.  In fact there are smoking areas (which are not ventilated like they say they should be) and certain people (the bosses mainly) smoke in their own offices anyway!  And then there are the restaurants and bars where, if you’re a regular, once they shut up for the evening, allow their customers to smoke just like the law had never happened.

Sure, when the ban was introduced, the police here did a massive crackdown and went to all the popular places where there are lots of bars and restaurants to enforce the change.  Since then, nothing.  Yes, there are a few people who take exception to it, but nothing like there would be in the UK or USA.

So, to France, I say – sure, introduce the ban.  People will ignore it or find a way around it.  It won’t be such a big deal.  And if the restaurants and bars want to continue in business, they will have to find a solution – just like here.  But don’t think it won’t have an economic effect on your business.  Italians can be broke, but will still go out for a meal, even if they have to go outside for a fag.  Will the French do the same?  I’m pretty certain the English won’t.  Nor the Welsh, for that matter.  I’m sure that, if I still lived there, I would think twice before going for a meal in a restaurant.

On a different note, what is it about these people who insist you can only comment on a blog if you have signed in?  Today I wanted to tell a visitor to Milan that to see beautiful buildings in Milan, go down Via Stoppani or Via Malpighi and you will see some fantastic Art Nouveau style blocks of flats.  But I’m dammed if I’m going to have another blog sign on just to post a comment.  So, they’ll just have to not know about the fantastic city that is Milan!