Unovertakable ── The Queen of Milan Drives a FIAT 500

When you're driving and there's a car in front of you that you just can't overtake. The road is narrow, there's oncoming traffic, and cars are parked tightly along the sides. Behind you, a line of cars is inching forward. You mutter to yourself, 'Please, move over...' — If you drive, I'm sure you'll nod in agreement with this feeling.

In Milan, too, I was put in that situation many times. The only difference from Japan was the identity of the car going in front of me.

The FIAT 500 (Cinquecento). That national classic car that is so small it looks like it could fit in the palm of your hand, round, and runs with a light 'pop-pop' sound.

The person gripping the steering wheel was an elderly woman with white hair. Only the very top of her hair was peeking out from the seat. She held the steering wheel firmly with both hands, completely unfazed by the hustle and bustle around her. She proceeded right down the middle of the road, majestically and at her own pace.

No matter how many cars honked their horns behind her, she didn't flinch. In the first place, she had absolutely no intention of letting anyone pass. On the narrow cobblestone streets, there was no gap to overtake in from the start.

I gave up and decided to follow behind her. Strangely enough, after a while, my irritation just faded away.

I see. In this city, the one who is in a hurry is the one who loses. A small elderly woman in a small classic car was majestically leading a car driven by a grown man. That sight looked somewhat like a royal procession. Besides, it was too nimble for me to pass in my own Alfa (Romeo).

I still remember it even now. Perhaps the true masters of the narrow alleys of Milan were that white-haired old woman and the FIAT 500 she loved.

Tomorrow, I'll talk about the supermarket clerk who proudly said, 'They don't have machines like this in Japan, do they?'