Automatic Contrasts

1] Amer-Europe, Zen and Open Sesame:
Piazza Spagna. That adorable neighbourhood with colorful, stylish old houses, churches, fountains, boutiques, traditional tea-houses. It feels somehow weird to find a McDonalds in a central spot of such a European, traditional area of the city. Do not get me wrong, I was happy to bump into it, particularly in a scorching hot afternoon of non-stop walking: I would be able to get some more decently-priced cold drink. However it is the image of America in the heart of Europe, the fast-food in the heart of slow-food, the upsized menu in the country of normal-sized dishes, the future and revolution in the heart of the history and tradition. My surprise did not finish there: this is the most stylish McDonalds I have ever been to: it was all decorated in Zen style. And it was not just decoration, it was functionality: food was ordered and delivered only upstairs; downstairs was only for cafes. For someone who does not eat fries or burgers, having a coffee somewhere that does not smell like fries and grilled meat was unbelievable! My surprise did not finish there: when I got up to throw away my cup, the litter bins were automatic. You just approach and the lid opens for you.


2] Open Sesame, again:
One afternoon, after browsing the narrow, picturesque streets that cross Via Condotti, I was ready for a stop at a café. This is a small café, in a building that must be at least 110 years old, like most buildings in this area. However, do not get fooled by facades and sizes. When I go to the bathroom, you do not have to push any door, but a switch, so that the door opens. The same to leave.

3] Automatic Numbers:
In the same neighbourhood, I walk one afternoon by a store. From the outside it looked just like another store in the ground level of some historic building, however, it was a supermarket. I walked in to get cold drinks and fresh fruit. All the supermarket instead of having printed-out or hand-written price-tags, had electronic tags. Yes, as if you were reading small calculator screens. They would indicate the price per unit and the price per basic measure unit of the product sold (i.e., per kg, or per liter, etc).

If you are European, you will have to forgive me, but coming from the US and Canada, where you believe are amongst the epicenters for the latest in technology and innovation, coming to Europe seeking some heart-warming and connection to my roots, these are surprising findings to me… yet so welcomed.