Yes Steve, I agree, but the truth is, Italy is a lovely and beautiful country, bestowed with the finest history, style, art, culture and traditions, it's a fantastic place to holiday, but unless your are loaded, it's not a good place to live as a working class person.
The above comment of course relates to the South of Italy which is from Rome down. From Rome upwards you see mass industrialisation, which creates a rat-race society and living in the Northern regions would be just like living your life here, work, home, work, home, work, home and so on, only in a slightly nicer climate.
You're right though Steve, he should have been kicked up the arse!
People who live in Southern Europe are far happier than we are leading their simplistic lives, it's only when they come to Northern Europe and taste the money that working brings that they too become complicated and complex, which in turn makes you material which wipes that innocent, happy and simplistic joy that they once had, right off their face.
These of course are only my views, but it what I've experienced first hand.
Ah, I'ma gonna fockarroffa somawhera good ifa I winna da lotteria!

FIAT Stilo Sport. Pretty Much Bog Standard Really. Rear Roof Spoiler,
Sill Protectors, Aluminium Foot Pedals, Eibach 30mm Drop Springs.