Italians

I have just come 'home' after two vino bianco, apertif e the best cioccolato gelati - dinner and desert, total cost 5 euro.

It is 7pm and the streets are absolutely packed, Italians are like vampires, they are all out at night!  The streets are busier now that they are all day.  It is safer here at night than any other time.

While I was savouring my vino I was loving watching them watching me.  I forget that I must stick out like a sore thumb, they aren't anywhere near as used to seeing 'straniero' as they are up north.  Tourists don't come down this far, I have not met one American, Australian or english speaking person since leaving Venice and  I love it!  And now that I am much more savvy to the Italian ways, I walk in to cafes and ask for caffe, espresso etc as if I have always done it, and they know that I know exactly what I want and how I want it, how to drink it and how to pay for it!

Some of the sights I have seen tonight have included a girl about 8 years old all frocked up (they all get frocked up to come out at night), with a gelati, climb back in to her stroller, and her mother push the stroller down the street, a nun holding a little girl's hand and the little girl had the biggest smile in the whole world on her face, two older than old men walking down the street arm in arm and two young guys around 17 years old greet each other on the street with air kisses.  Life is so interesting when you are from another culture and take the time to sit and watch what goes on around you!

I have been watching a lot of trashy tv lately, I dont understand hardly any of it but there is one program that is like a car accident, I can't stand the host and it is absolutely ridiculous but I try to see it every night! I am going to miss it when I come home, I will have to see if I can find it online and watch it on my computer with the girls when I get home.  If anyone is bored see if you can find on Italian tv, chanel 5 "Avanti un Altro!" it is absolute trash but I'm going to miss it!