let the training begin....

Last night we were invited to a dinner for "festa della donna" (women's day) at Carmello and Anna's house. Carmello is a funeral director. Anna's recently had surgery on both her feet...and was STILL an excellent hostess. Carmello's son-in-law is a guard at the local prison. His name is Ciccio (which means "chubby one" and is pronounced "chicho") and he did all the cooking.

There were about 12 of us there. It was a lovely evening.

Ciccio is Calabrese and really wants to take David and me down to Calabria next time he goes - to show us the real Italy. He described a typical day there like this:

8.30am - primo colazione (first breakfast) with fresh goat cheese and bread...and wine.

10am - colazione (second breakfast) in the town square with pork sandwiches...and wine (no glasses, everyone just brings their own bottle).

1.30pm - apperativo with salami, bread ...and wine.

At 2pm lunch starts and goes until about 7pm.

Dinner starts at 10pm and usually lasts until 2am.

I'd like to interject here, for those readers who are not hip to the nuances of the regions and politics of Italy. Southern Italians are known for being lazy and a drain on the state. Well, excuse me but it's no wonder those paesano's down south don't work -- there's no TIME.

David and I figure that if we go on this holiday we'd have to do it as a relay team - he could take the first half of he day, we'd pass the baton over lunch and then I'd finish the day.

Ciccio thinks we should rent a 9 person van and get a group to go. Friends, I have to tell you now that I'm on board that caravan! Of course, I'd need to start now with some training...I'll start having wine at breakfast (twice), lunch and dinner, in addition to those extra meals I'll have to add to my normal eating routine.

It's basically the Italian Ironman and I'm ready to take the challenge.