It's better for me if he's ignorant!

The thing that has surprised me most of all about our return to Italy is just how comfortable Stuart is in this country.

Except for (very) occasionally listening to an Italian language course on his ipod, he doesn't make any attempt to practice the language.

On our first day back, he drove on the 'right' hand side of the road instantly and was even seen to go to the 'wrong' side of the road to park! (For those of you who don't understand this, Italians park in any direction regardless of the flow of traffic).

Today, we ventured to the market. Stuart looked so comfortable with all the locals yapping in Italian around him. On the contrary, I looked to be under severe mental strain as I prepared the words I would use to order the various foods.

So you can imagine my surprise when, as all the necessary words relating to cheese were buzzing around in my head, I heard a giggle next to me.

I turned to find Stuart apparently enjoying a joke.

I must have looked a little confused (dismayed?) because he quickly explained.

'See that lady beside you?', he said.

'The one about my age? Yes', I replied.

'The shopkeeper called her Signorina (young woman) and you Signora (old woman)!', he laughed.

'Ha ha', I grunted.

Where and when had he learned this!?

When your man knows that you've been classified as an 'old woman' instead of a 'young woman' it's time he 'lost' his ipod...