I'm fresh out of Italy - Pisa to be precise - armed with all manner of Italian colloquialisms to baffle (that's buffoon, if you're a Malaprop) the English speaker. "Mio dio" ("my god") just happens to be my favourite, but I also have a soft spot for "cretino" (no prizes for guessing) and "chiusi il becco" ("shut up", but I'm pretty sure it literally translates as "shut your beak").Anyway, while abroad, fellow biologist and travel companion, Zia Lewindon, informed me that the "average" Italian family consumes 50 litres of olive oil a year. I say "average" because this is the amount one hopeful oil vendor tried to sell her. Either he thought she had six children, or one member of a four person family is genuinely expected to consume (drink?) - let's see - a quarter of a litre of olive oil a week... Mio dio!
Image: thanks Jeresn Callewaer
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