May 1st - Officially Italian Summer!

Only a few weeks ago before the month of May began, Andy and I were receiving a fair number of odd looks regarding our choie of attire. I suppose we were acting like such Brits, as soon as we see a glimpse of sun, we're outside barbecuing and wearing shorts, sandals and carrying around portable fans and spraying evian face spray like mad. However, I have to say the temperature was reaching mid 20's so of course we were in our summer gear, the only ones in our summer clobber traipsing around town.

Now although Italians love a stare or two, we felt that there really was a cultural idiosyncrasy we were obviously unaware of. And we were right. Apparently in Italia folks, May 1st is the start of summer, and damn those who wear their summer wardrobes before any such date has passed!

Now this was something told to me before May and truthfully I though it was a load of tosh really! So I was flabbergasted when May 1st came round, and blow me, there is every man and his dog (literally) dressed in bright warm weather garb! Women were now wearing open toe shoes and the fur coats had been hung up replaced with delicately colored leather jackets and little dogs stepping out minus their Burberry onesies! Men are seen without their blazers and the odd pedal pusher had been making an appearance. The face of Treviso fashion had literally changed over night!

I was pleased I could now wear my flipflops and flowing skirts without getting a look, but what I didn't realise, is that what is now equally shameful (now that is it Summer) is wearing clothes that might keep you warm, in say perhaps, a chilly breeze! I found this out when only I and a poor little old lady with varicose veins were the only two out one night wearing black tights under our skirts. Seemingly if there's no medical reason for wearing tights it is simply an odd thing to wear in May. Suffice to say I've been bearing my pasty white legs since, although they do attract attention I know it is not for any reason other than for the fact they are so glaringly white it's hard to miss them!

I did visit England however recently where my pasty white legs were certainly in good company in the English Summer sun!

Italian Bus drivers

They are, to say the least, the scariest drivers I have come across! Given most drivers in Italy are off their rocker, that says a lot. Never in any other country have I seen a bus maneuver out of such small places with a constance gaze out their rear view mirror as if, it doesn't count if they hit the front when they have such a large ass behind them!! They're literally covering their asses! Or complete a 10 point turn at a hotel by the beach. That one was actually pretty impressive, it was a double decker too!

Seriously though it is scary. Here, when a Bus Driver gestures for you to go across the zebra crossing - RUN. Believe me, that 'wave-on' doesn't mean 'Yes please go and I'll wait for you to pass'. Oh no, it means 'If you go NOW I reckon I won't hit you, but it depends how fast you run, you ever can tell!'. Seriously I walk across roads here as if at any moment a driver could have a sudden change of heart and hit the accelerator, as if having weighed the time it will take to wait for me to pass versus killing me, the later option comes out on top!

I've seen little old ladies just walk out into the road. They are obviously hardened to the constant looming possibility that death is literally just round the corner, it's 1.6 engine revving; either that or they're blind. Much like their impatience for queuing, these little old ladies are crossing that zebra when they want and you just better had stop! Maybe I need more pedestrian bravado. Perhaps if I stand out in-front of the Bus and stare it down it will stop? Yeah no I won't be trying that. I'm happy with my half walk half hop, ready to run nervous tread!

Ciao