Thrush, chickens and other silly birds - Week 8 Run 3

Rewind to Monday evening at our local Pizzeria, Mr JCR still patched up after kissing the asphalt in the Alps, waiting for his stitches to be removed. We see our friends in the distance an unplanned evening, lovely.

Their son A, meets us and we ask how he is? Fine he says but mama is not. A bit concerned we walk to their table and there are our friends M and G, with their daughter M. The owner of the pizzeria looks aghast at Mr JCR and asks what has happened, and then laughs when we join our friends at their table, because our friend G has tripped in her high heels and broken her fifth metatarsal. Her leg is in plaster, it looked like a very sociable outpatients clinic.

M and G are some of our biggest friends in Italy, they run between them 3 businesses, have 2 children who are learning English and actually speak it with a Derbyshire accent. G wants to run with me, after they move into their new house, as they will be near-neighbours. I have told her about C25K and she is going to sign up, even though her leg is in plaster! G is the embodiment of Italian chic, always stunningly dressed and made up so when we do get to run she will be the chic podista and I will be the red tomato mate. We always have a laugh, speaking our own language Ingliano and we help each other through the vagaries of our languages.

In Italian there are many false friends - words which mean something different to what you might imagine. For example sensibile means sensitive not sensible. For reasons which escape me, one memorable night with M and G, we explained that thrush was both a bird, oh and a medical condition needing yoghurt. The Italian is entirely different for the medical condition but for the bird it is a 'tordo'. Unknown to us that restaurant was well known for serving game. And when the owner asked us if we would like the house special. We said yes having no idea what it was, and we were served with thrush. Now I make no comment on the dish, but after talking about the medical condition, 4 of us were on the floor laughing about whether it should be served with yoghurt or not

So onto tonight's run, Tuesday night we partied yes it's a school night and that is why today's run was so late, because I couldn't face the morning run. Out this evening after 6, but it's still about 28 degrees, doing my warm up walk, down the slope of hope I get flagged down by two men I know vaguely from the bar. One has a shock of white hair, smokes and always looks like a baddie from a spaghetti Western. The other a little rounder, with dark floppy hair and his legs look like they've been eaten by a combine harvester. Scarred and scratched. He asks me politely to stop as he needs to talk to me about chickens. I am running on the spot hoping this counts as a warm up wondering what in earth he is on about.

He tells me that the whole village were surprised at the English keeping chickens and that he walks past our house everyday and noticed that the three chickens seemed to like certain parts of our garden. Then after 3 days of passing, he realised they were fake! Only in Italy would someone stop you and chat about fake chickens....

I took my leave politely and left Mr Chicken and Mr Spaghetti Western behind me. So I did do the run, started a bit earlier as was utterly distracted by the chicken chat. Giggled my way up the hill that kills, jogged slowly to Villa Bali and back up Lovers Lane, passed the house selling farm fresh free range eggs and that started me giggling again... Back up the hill that kills and I got a stitch so I cheated I walked for about 20 paces. Then started again and finished the 28 minutes. Bit sure this one really counts as continuous.

Oh and if you think my running life is a bit crazy. Wait until G starts running and posting - her life includes memorable characters such as Mr Sausage and Mr Pervy....

Colour back to Monarch and I am not partying before Fridays Week 9 Run. G this run was for you

[Martin_Rose Graduate]

Absolutely marvellous.

[Hidden in reply to Martin_Rose]

Thanks Martin- who'd have thought chickens were such a talking point

[IgaT Graduate]

Congratulations on your run! In the end you did it! Even with some walking, talking, and giggling From my point of view it counts!

I think thrush served with fake chicken salad followed by yoghurt as a dessert ;D

[Hidden in reply to IgaT]

IgaT you got me out there, post partying I didn't feel like it at all. Love the menu ideas

[IgaT Graduate in reply to Hidden]

That's one of the reasons we are here. Suddenly we feel this urge to run or at least some motivation waking up deep inside us.

Enjoy your rest night and rest day.

[Dave55 Graduate]

Wonderfully entertaining as ever lol

[Hidden in reply to Dave55]

Thanks D truly I live in a wonderful place

[bareliz]

Oh Hidden I wish my life was so interesting. I commend you for your run after the night before and no, no more wine for now. Save it for your graduation when we shall have a virtual party. :). I look forward to hearing from G (when out of plaster).

[Hidden in reply to bareliz]

G is an absolute scream one day off line we will talk about her mum and Berlusconi... 😀

[bareliz in reply to Hidden]

Ha, can't wait for that 😁

[Hidden in reply to bareliz]

It is absolutely priceless but for another day and not for public consumption

[bareliz in reply to Hidden]

Ha ok. I can wait 😁

[froggyrunner Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Now we all want to know!!!!

[Irishprincess Graduate]

Hilarious! I love that tale about thrush. Good job you didn't tell Mr Chicken and Mr Spaghetti Western the cock word 😏

[Hidden in reply to Irishprincess]

That word should remain just here.....

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Keep running, Jan and keep posting, too.

Turdus is the Latin name for the thrush family, incidentally........

[Hidden in reply to IannodaTruffe]

You couldn't make it up, could you? Turdus I'll have to tell G😘

[rolysmate Graduate]

Oh my goodness after all that was going off there I'm sure we can ignore those 20 paces (what 20 paces) , (don't know can't remember)

28 degrees, quite arctic like I'm sure, well done and onwards to week 9

[Hidden in reply to rolysmate]

Thank you for turning a blind eye to the missing 20. We are on Week9 and will do it.

[rolysmate Graduate in reply to Hidden]

final run of week 8 today

[Hidden in reply to rolysmate]

Yes but it's in the bag... I have faith Puffin Billy

[rolysmate Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Hoping the Derbyshire air will carry me through!

[Hidden in reply to rolysmate]

Oh nice call back, that gets you mega brownie points in the stand up comic courses..

[Tomstevenson63]

What a delightfully bonkers post!

[Hidden in reply to Tomstevenson63]

Yup that's my life. Sharing the bonkers

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Great post... as ever....you did brilliantly.... we will forget the 20 paces of walking

Go you....what an exciting life you lead!!!

PS

I am not sure what the Derbyshire accent is... I have never noticed it... will listen out for it xxx

[Hidden in reply to Oldfloss]

The children say meemum without a gap and G asked us what a meemum was...

We had to explain it was my mum👍

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Love it... like meedad... and meetea... and meerun xx

[Hidden in reply to Oldfloss]

Got it one old floss. G is getting the link to this so she can see and reply if she wishes!

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Hidden]

There is a lot of fun to be had with this one

[rolysmate Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

Lol just seen this and just about to have meebreakfast

[Hidden in reply to rolysmate]

Meetoo except meecoffee only today

[rolysmate Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Mugotea an meealpen

[Hidden in reply to rolysmate]

This really could run and run, Oldfloss was right!

[rolysmate Graduate in reply to Hidden]

time for meeshower n geroff t wok

[mizz_happy Graduate]

Brilliantly done🎉🎉well done you...on to wk9 😀😀

[Hidden in reply to mizz_happy]

Thanks mh onwards and upwards

[HeleneCorsa Graduate]

Fabulous post! In terms of zoological linguistic disasters, in my early days in Italy I confused "conigli" and "coglioni". (For non Italian speakers - the former are rabbits, the latter are male dangly bits...). I asked the butcher if he had any coglioni and still cringe at the recollection, almost seventeen years later.

I also remember once seeing on a menu in Florence the appetizing delicacy, "Rabbit with Tuscan herpes". Would be lovely with a side order of thrush and yoghurt.

[Hidden in reply to HeleneCorsa]

Yes I know what you mean, exactly like the time I was asking for help on stopping the ivy strangling the squid, to lots of very weird looks, and then the penny dropped I should have said sieppe not seppia! Hey ho, that's what we are here for!

[HeleneCorsa Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Ha ha! Help save my squid!

Mistakes are par for the course and at least offer free entertainment to others. A great antidote to taking yourself too seriously too. Learning another language well can be a very humbling experience along the way, I think.

Also, around the same period as the conigli/coglioni incident, I lost a ring from my finger as it flew off while I was gesticulating in a bar. Some people asked if I needed any help while I was looking for it, and I answered that I had lost my "agnello", my lamb, rather than my "anello", my ring. They didn't correct me and seemed to understand but I realised by myself later on and cringed horribly.

[Hidden in reply to HeleneCorsa]

A very woolly ring indeed....

my mistakes don't seem to lessen, they're just new each time. But I wouldn't be without learning them....

[Tracey5kOneDay Graduate]

Your posts are hysterical! You should write a blog!

Years ago, in Seville, I asked the waiter for a maricon (Google it!) instead of an Americano! Fortunately the waiter had a sense of humour but my friends still remind me about my faux pas at every available opportunity!

[Hidden in reply to Tracey5kOneDay]

Blimey, that must have been sticky. ....

[PaulaHud46 Graduate]

Blimey, you're an accidental lot aren't you. Please be careful 😂