A new Italian moment

There was a Christmas market in the high street of our little town tonight, one of the seasonal events I absolutely love. There was the usual stuff: orchestras playing (including my wife's), choirs, food stands, decorations stands, etc. And there was a youngish Italian man who was passing leaflets about a new shop opening tonight, a shop of Italian delicacies. he was talking slowly with a very heavy Italian accent. So I took the leaflet, thanking him in Italian. Which of course lead to a conversation in Italian. When my wife had finished with the orchestra, we went to the shop, tasted some Italian jams and speak some more Italian for me. I said my usual line: "Io parlo bene italiano ma non capisco una sola parola". It was enough for the shopkeeper and his son (the guy who had passed leaflets) to wonder if I was Italian, but I could not maintain the illusion. They still kept on speaking Italian to me. As the son said as an explanation: "Your Italian is better than my English." I don't think I am that good, or he that bad, but this deserves to be a great unknown line. So this was my new Italian moment. Apparently, the shop is only here temporarily, for a month or so. I will pay them a few visits for a few more Italian moments.