Sunday was ... interesting!

Yesterday I was with a group and the Italian guide and translator didn't arrive.

Picture this: the farmer was celebrating his 77th birthday. The group was a little late getting to him. Refreshments were plentiful.

The farmer spoke in dialect.
I speak little enough Italian. I have deliberately avoided learning dialect.

I stood beside him *translating* and to my horror someone had a video camera pointed our way. I have visions of an Italian in Canada viewing the video and discovering that my translation has very little in common with what the farmer was saying!

All I can say is, I did my best!

I told them that the Canadians were well-liked by the locals. I told them that 17 soldiers were killed around that site, crossing the river to try to take the farmhouse and buildings from the Germans. I told them that the Canadians ate fish from the river, that they liked eating the fish. I told them that it was the farmer's birthday and we all sang to him. I asked him how old the house was and he said part of it could be 800 years old.

I told them I really couldn't keep up with the speed of what he was saying, when he wouldn't pause for me to translate. I told him that he talked too much!

What else could I do?

Today I told his daughter that I hoped he wasn't offended when I laughingly told him he talked too much. She said "What time were you there? Don't worry, it was his birthday, he wont remember anything you said."

At least I got the bit about his birthday right!