The Real Thing

President and Mrs Obama's reception by the President of Italy has evinced President Obama's enthusiasm and pleasure on a par with that of meeting the Queen.

One's family needs members of every political persuasion, as well as the genuine interest, warmly expressed and coupled with absolute courtesy, that high office held in every European state demands.

(Is there any means by which the Browns could be prevented from displaying inappropriate behaviour? Central Rome on an official visit is not for the wearing of red, teeteringly high-heeled, peep-toed slingbacks, on trotters topped by a dress in red white and blue. Rome is not Birmingham.

It is appropriate in Italian cities to wear flat, or slightly-heeled, closed shoes; no open shoe may ever be worn with stockings. This applies to women and men. (The only exception to stockings or socks with sandals was for Roman soldiers in northern European climes, and look what happened to them in the end).