"As a child, there was a definite downside to this Italian obsession with health. Summers on the beach for instance. Swimming after food was a complete no-no.
We were fed horror stories about children who had disobeyed the no-swimming rule, only to be hit by intestinal cramps in the water, something which apparently turned you blue in the face and caused you to drown.
This meant the hottest part of the day - the hours after lunch - were spent sitting on the beach watching the foreign kids frolic in the surf. The Italians shook their heads sadly at this blatant parental ignorance.
A full meal required a three hour no-swimming rule. A couple of biscuits might set you back half an hour. Every minute counted. "Can I go in yet?" would be met by, say, "Eleven minutes to go."
Read the full article by Manuela Saragosa on www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16141184
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| Gaia & Lele, Sardinia |
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