Two weeks after we first reported our broken phone we now have our line back. The fault was on the outside cable which, the technician told us, needs replacing all down the street.

How did we resolve the impasse? Who knows. Maybe our turn had just come to the top of the maintenance list. But now after two weeks of silence (and we left mobile phone numbers where they could have contacted us) Telecom operators call us about three times a day to make sure everything is alright.

What made the difference? We shall never know, but at the end of last week we lodged a report with the Carabinieri and then faxed a copy of it to Telecom. The helpful maresciallo who took the report said it wouldn