Introducing Fabrizi Ferramenta and the four Effs

A little tip - when staying in an apartment in Rome never EVER leave the keys in the lock in the back of the door.  Oh no, No, NO, NO, NO!  

Apartment doors in Rome are like miniature versions of those used to secure the Crown Jewels and in the early evening of Rome Day 2 we managed to effectively lock ourselves out of Fort Knox (or so we thought). 

And yes, there was a child involved, but I won’t mention any names (think middle one).

Enter Theo.   Theo worked in a computer shop below the apartment and heard me explaining to Jeremy that no – it wasn’t that easy to just go and ask someone for help as I didn’t speak Italian and I doubted anyone in the shop spoke English.  Cue Theo.  Out of the shop he popped explaining that not only did he speak English but was anything he could do for us.

Well actually yes Theo you guardian angel you, yes indeedy we could do with some help re-entering Fort Knox upstairs, not that that’s how we explained it of course.

Enter Fillipo.  Fillipo worked in a nearby mechanic shop and he listened very carefully while Theo translated our tale of woe.  While Fillipo couldn’t help directly he highly recommended speaking to Fabio.  Fabio worked at a hardware shop about three blocks away and was the go to contact for Fort Knox lock-outs.

Now, you may have noticed a few F names creeping into this fabulous fable, this trend continued as Theo pointed out that Fabio’s hardware shop was called Fabrizi Ferramenta's, and said with rolling r’s – even I sounded Italian!

Anyway off we flitted clutching the tiny note outlining our plight that Theo had very kindly written for us.  A few block later wha la  - right on the corner where it should be - there it was – Fabrizi Ferramenta's!

Sensing a final fix for our faux pas we forged forcefully into Fabrizi Ferramenta’s, fearful that Fabio may have fled.  Phew (technically not an F but it will do J).

Enter Fabio.  There he was standing behind the counter (or at least there was someone behind the counter that we assumed was Fabio).  We handed over the note, which Fabio read carefully and which prompted an immediate phone call.  It was hard to follow the conversation, but we gathered he was speaking to Franco.  Go back to your apartment said Fabio and somone will meet you in fifteen minutes.

Enter Franco.  Now Franco didn’t speak much English, but he was obviously in the business of opening up doors.  His tool for breaking into Fort Knox was a piece of plastic.  Yep – that’s right – an envelope-sized piece of hard but flexible plastic and after all of 3 seconds he was in.  

Go Franco rah rah!  Our excitement and dance of relief however were soon tempered by Franco's next few words.  We won’t mention the exact price, but suffice to say it reminded me of the time Lucy Loo got stung by a bee and it cost $150 for the vet to spend half a second flicking the offending sting out.  

Still, looking at the positives, we were in the apartment, we’d met Theo, Fillipo, Fabio and Franco, we’d visited Fabrizi Ferramenta’s and we’d definitely learned that when staying in an apartment in Rome never EVER leave the keys in the lock in the back of the door!