EDP Columns
The Culture, Food & People
The southern Italian culture can be quite mind-boggling to an independent British female and is something that took me a while to understand. It can be considered strange for one half of a couple to go out in the evenings without their partner. It’s not to say it never happens, just that it’s more usual for couples to be seen together, and that of course means no more girls nights out for me!
There is one habit that’s been easy to adapt to though, and that’s the warm summer evenings when the place to be seen is down by Trani’s port. Hoards of people gather to either take a leisurely stroll or sit on the ancient wall overlooking the yachts in the harbour. It’s easy to relax and soak up the atmosphere before deciding what to do next which can take endless amounts of time. This isn’t the only thing that takes hours, so does eating.
My first unforgettable Italian food experience was on Christmas Day 2002 that was spent with Felice and his family at a local restaurant. Taking one look at the menu I gasped in horror. “But there are 10 courses!” Felice smiled at me as if to say “yes it’s quite normal, what’s the problem!?” I ate as much as my stomach could take but needless to say left enough food for at least 3 other people. The whole event lasted 6 hours, but that’s because Italians (and now me!) love to get up and dance in between courses. On this occasion I soon regretted over indulging on the seafood after subsequently being ill so I’m now careful about what I eat. I’ve also learned to ignore the occasional strange looks from people when I say I’ve had quite enough food thank you!
Italians are also very particular about what they eat. Antipasti is followed by the primi and the secondo. Sometimes if you’re lucky, or unlucky depending how you look at it, there could be two of each! Then of course there’s the fruit, cakes and anything else you can squeeze in. Although I certainly eat more now than ever before, I have to wonder if I’ll ever be quite up to Italian standards. Thank goodness I do plenty of walking!
As is commonly known, Italians are extremely expressive and sociable. One enjoyable pastime is admiring their communication skills, particularly the variety of hand signals. ‘Come here’ is hands and fingers facing downwards and then moving fingers back and forth in a manic fashion, the opposite of the British version. Then there’s the hands held together as if about to pray before shaking them up and down, which is something often seen on football terraces. However, it’s not just the hand signals that are amusing. So is the Italian lack of bashfulness when talking about their private lives in public. On buses, trains and in post office queues, people can be heard discussing their home lives, personal problems and neighbours without a moment’s hesitation! It’s all part of daily life!