Judging by what you say, the smokers in Switzerland far exceed the Italians. Smoking is allowed, even ENCOURAGED in restaurants (filthy ash-trays piled high on the table amid the food). We dined somewhere quite up-market and were shown to a table where a dirty ash-tray was spilling butts onto a white table cloth! Unbelievable. Then I went to the toilet. Oh Boy! An ashtray bolted to the wall in the actual cubicle (full to the brim and spilling onto the floor) and another at the hand-basin, likewise over-flowing all over the sink. You gotta see it to believe it! It made Hans sick too. He said it was never like that when he lived there.

I'm never likely to meet the new Madryn, as I will never return to the SCA. But you're right - she has very good taste. Just one more reason to get my book published as Madryn Sinclair, to make the name my own in a much stronger sense!LOL!