My sweet blood
We were sitting at a bar yesterday afternoon enjoying an espresso, probably my fifth of the day, when my husband looks at my arm with eyes the size of saucers and barks "what happened?"
apparently I was sabotaged by zanzare (mosquitoes). And not just any zanzara, but zanzare tigre: the really huge tiger mosquitoes black with white stripes which perhaps the name of zebra would be more appropriate but since zebras are herbivore I suppose tigre was the next best thing.
Anyhow in the hour that we were sitting with our friend I was bitten a total of 7 times. But these are not just mere bites mind you. These bites start out small and in the course of 15 minutes their size increases 50 times. I kid you not. On any exposed skin I had there was a huge silver-dollar size welt that itched to high heaven. And nobody else was attacked but me! Our friend suggested because they smoke they didn't get bit, something along the lines of the smoke keeps them away (excuse me but I'm sitting directly next to you and the smoke is definitely wafting my way which obliterates that theory). My husband suggested it's because I have sweet blood (aw, honey, that's so nice but it makes absolutely no sense). And later that evening my Italian aunt (zia) suggested keeping basil around me to ward them off. Okay, um, thanks. All I know is we are headed into Autumn and the mosquito's have decided to hang around a bit longer so they can feast on my arms, ankles, and lower back.
apparently I was sabotaged by zanzare (mosquitoes). And not just any zanzara, but zanzare tigre: the really huge tiger mosquitoes black with white stripes which perhaps the name of zebra would be more appropriate but since zebras are herbivore I suppose tigre was the next best thing.
Anyhow in the hour that we were sitting with our friend I was bitten a total of 7 times. But these are not just mere bites mind you. These bites start out small and in the course of 15 minutes their size increases 50 times. I kid you not. On any exposed skin I had there was a huge silver-dollar size welt that itched to high heaven. And nobody else was attacked but me! Our friend suggested because they smoke they didn't get bit, something along the lines of the smoke keeps them away (excuse me but I'm sitting directly next to you and the smoke is definitely wafting my way which obliterates that theory). My husband suggested it's because I have sweet blood (aw, honey, that's so nice but it makes absolutely no sense). And later that evening my Italian aunt (zia) suggested keeping basil around me to ward them off. Okay, um, thanks. All I know is we are headed into Autumn and the mosquito's have decided to hang around a bit longer so they can feast on my arms, ankles, and lower back.
posted by avery at 4:09 PM
3 Comments:
I am so with you. I never had any mosquito bites in the States that left WELTS and near SCARS. These things are vicious! And I have been told the "sangue dolce" story way too many times...
Dude. Yes. We were in Ischia and I got one hundred mosquito bites that were unlike anything I've seen in the states. Over the course of maybe five minutes I had at least six. And there are still itching me as we....speak...!!! I had to stop an scratch one. They're on my feet for godssake!
Usually I have husband around as bait, so I don't get bitten, but apparently out of the three of us in Ischia (of which husband was not one) I was the one with the sangue dolce.
Great.
I have always joked that if anyone wants to keep mosquitos away from them they should stand next to me becuase the lurve me! I have only been in Italy for a week, I am hoping to avoid the tiger mosquitos till next year!
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