Papal Revelation! - only in Italy

New Headlines: 'Il Papa Fa La Pi-pi Come Noi' - roughly translated; The Pope pees like the rest of us. Shock horror! He might actually be human.  Only in Italy could this be news - photographed outside the Pietrasanta 'edicola' - those fascinating pavement news-stands where you can buy any kind of newspaper and magazine.

When you look more closely, you can see that the headline is in a satirical magazine called 'Il Vernacoliere' - which is the Italian  equivalent of Private Eye, only slightly ruder.

If you buy a copy you can ponder weighty questions such as 'Is God a Communist?' and follow the murky political adventures of Peppa Pig as you have never seen her before.

The wisteria is out on the railings and spring has sprung in Italy, where political insanity rules with a kind of reassuring continuity, despite a change from Prime Minister Letta to Prime Minister Renzi. A shift from the Cautious Economist to the Mayor of Florence changes nothing.  Time for another glass of wine on the terrace!