Thursday, October 21, 2004

Fraud- Capodimonte museum, Naples

The phone rang. I had just returned from a week in Naples and Sorrento.
"Have you spent 700 euros on books in the Capodimonte museum in Naples?"
"Pardon?"
"And 500 euros in an Italian supermarket?"
Well, I had just been congratulating myself that despite all the horror tales of crime etc in Naples I had returned without being robbed or mugged. Now this. I had reckoneed without the new crime of credit card cloning.
So how did it happen? Well, the most likely suspect is the museum itself since I had bought some books - a mere 30 euros - there on the day of the first illegal transaction and had lunch in the museum cafe- that's when the waiter took my credit card away for rather a long time.....

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Panther found with sheep!

Phone call from Bridge of Allan police.
"We've found your panther.It was in a field with sheep."
Well, I'm delighted to get it back, only slightly damaged, and to learn it has been used for an art installation, well a site specific one, though I suspect the pranksters ( students during Stirling University Freshers Week?) were unaware that what they were doing could be construed as a work of art.
Wonder what the sheep thought of it...
I put a poster up in the village( Bridge of Allan) offering a reward and it seems a woman walking her dog spotted it .