Formidable foes

Although when thinking of the world’s current great military forces, Italy does not spring to mind, they actually have a powerful weapon at their disposal, which could wreak havoc on the globe if developed and wielded at large: the mosquito.
Now, as everybody knows, I’m from Texas, and we have HUGE mosquitoes in Texas, as do our neighbors in Louisiana, where you can see t-shirts with the ugly monsters on the front and “State bird” as the caption. But our massive mosquitoes have nothing on the petite yet feisty Tuscan variety. I call them “stealth mosquitoes” because they are incredibly fast and silent. I can be happily cooking in our beautiful kitchen with a view, and the next thing you know, I’ve been attacked, with no warning or time to respond.

You can barely see them they are so swift as they zip, dive and dodge any attempts to reduce their numbers. And compared to the familiar annoying whine of the Lone Star strain, these babies are totally quiet unless they get right up to and practically inside your ear, which they only do when you’re lying down to sleep… even then, they are fierce, as my ankles attest (I sleep with my feet outside the covers).

They also hit below the belt, while I’m working at the computer, and my thighs and knees have paid the price.

The worst is the unbearable, persistent itching that follows. These are venomous little insects! And perhaps patriotic… maybe they read my blog and somehow know that I supported France in the World Cup? In any case, I've only managed to smash 2 in the 5 days we've been here, so they are definitely winning this game.
Innocent travelers, be warned! (As a reminder, you can always click on the photos in this blog to get a closer view.)