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 Several folks were leisurely milling around admiring the older restored antiques. On display were Italian and English classics, German cars, a restored French Peugeot and a Mercedes Benz Limousine in mint condition (it had served as a German Military Officers car during WWII).

A disturbance at a cathedral across the street drew my attention. A bride and groom were standing on the entrance steps of the fenced in courtyard, facing the crowd of well-wishers following their wedding ceremony.  An elderly gentleman, methodically wiping off his immaculate 1940 Rolls Royce told me in a distinct British accent, “It is the custom of Orthodox Christians to toss coins into the crowd as a blessing for a long and happy marriage.”  

At the gate to the fenced-in courtyard was a Gypsy woman, sitting on an old plastic five-gallon pail, dressed in a dirty worn dress.  She was directing three little boys to run in and around the well-wishers and return with all the coins they could find, throw the coins in a bucket at her feet, and then to run and gather more.

While some of the men in the crowd were attempting to disrupt the boys, the Gypsy lady was also instructing two young girls, about the age of ten, to take turns carrying a small baby out into the traffic on the street.  As the traffic stopped for the stop-lights, one young girl approached the cars, holding the baby as though it were sick and pretending to be crying while holding her hands out for money. Many of the drivers handed coins to the young girl without saying a word. After fifteen minutes or so, the young girl would run back to the church gate with the baby and throw the coins in the bucket.  The Gypsy woman then handed the baby to the other girl to follow the same plan, thus allowing each girl a fifteen minute break.    

A policeman on bicycle confronted the Gypsy lady.  After a brief conversation, the policeman added coins from his own pocket to the bucket, as a convincing gesture to make her leave.

The Gypsy woman rounded up her young team, bowed to the policeman, then picked up her bucket and pail and departed, probably in search of another wedding or another set of stop-lights.

It was just another workday in the life of the Gypsy.

 by Everil Quist, International Agri-business Consultant