I Am Naming My Pasta Baby Anthony

How much pasta is too much pasta? I am on day six of a trip to italy and I am averaging two full-sized servings of pasta a day (the italian people apparently reject the concept of the “appetizer-sized” portion. Menus simply divide things into “first”, “secondi” and so on… you just eat giant plates filled with food in a numbered sequence).

I suppose I could say “no” to the pasta, or at least slow down my consumption, but as a responsible drinker, I feel it best to eat whenever I consume wine, which obviously necessitates a constant intake of carbohydrates.

The good news is that I am getting lots of fruit servings (more than required under the Canada Food Guide recommendations). I have been sucking back this fabulous liquor called lemoncillo, which is most definitely uber-lemony. And I have literally exhausted my tongue from endlessly licking lemon gelato, strawberry gelato, and a host of other berry-based gelatos.

I would be concerned about this intense, practically Olympian calibre eating if it were not for the fact that I am trekking up and down about a thousand stairs a day. In my entire time in Italy I have been on only 2 elevators. One was in my Rome hotel where it was considered such an anomaly that the front desk staff repeatedly pointed at it with pride and Trip Advisor reviewers identified it as an exciting ‘feature’ of the hotel.

The second elevator is about 100 yards from the dock in Sorrento and you must pay €1 for the thrill of having it lift you up into the town (To put this in perspective, please note that €1.50 will get you a large beer at any convenience store).

So I am justifying my gluttony with the two-pronged reasoning that it is insulating me against hangovers and providing the needed ‘carb loading’ for my long days of hiking, exploring the culture, and hunting for the ‘perfect’ leather handbag. I guess the bathroom scale will be the final judge. In the meantime, I will continue to wear my wisely-packed, elastic waisted skirts, and will continue to enjoy the feeling of a full belly… and I will be naming my pasta baby Anthony!