Angry fishermen and confused old Italian women

First off... sorry for the last post...kinda sucked. I didn't think it was possible to have lightning knock out the electricity, and, thus, the internet, twice in the same day, and both times while I was in the middle of typing this blog.
Second: Yesterday we went to Forte Dei Marmi.
Bad News: My pictures of this little seaside town north of Pisa were miraculously deleted from my camera somehow as a result of the power outages and confusion that followed.
Good News: If I were going to lose any pictures in this entire trip, I would choose the pics of Forte dei Marmi because I can describe the pictures and the town to you quite easily...Rain, expensive cafes, expensive cars, German tourists, male German tourists wearing capri pants and sleeveless shirts, German tourists with socks and sandals, expensive clothes stores, more rain, beautiful Italian women, skinny Italian guys wearing clothes I would only wear if i were the beautiful Italian women walking with them, rain puddles, African immigrants selling umbrellas, pretty houses for super rich Italians from Milan which were boarded up because the "season" is over, and wet German tourists. And that's about it...

Ok now we're at the present. Today was different from the other days. Today we went to Viareggio to visit the weekly market/bazaar that takes place there this morning and will have our lessons this evening. Tonight we'll be making pizzas and biscotti among other things. All I know is one of the former chefs here is now the manager at Cosimo's in Sarasota, FL that came in second to Valentino's in the contest for best pizza in the area, so we'll see if I'm impressed or not haha. Once you've had the best in Sarasota, you become quite a pizza critic...
Anyway, Viareggio was WONDERFUL! Click the link at http://picasaweb.google.com/harrison.d.sonntag to see the pics...
So let me paint a mental picture of my day in Viareggio for you... Imagine me, 6'4" 250, strolling around taking pictures of seafood, cheese, vegetables, etc. while old Italian women stop and look at me with strange looks, some pointing, most frowning, all very puzzled. A few brave ones decided to come and explain to me what a tomato was as I was buying it...
Old lady: "Es pomodoro"
Me: "Si, pomodoro"
Old Lady: "No es pomodoro"
Me: "Si, pomodoro"
Old Lady: "Ughhhh"...and she walked away
Additionally I was cursed at today and given "the Italian salute" by a fisherman guy who was selling fresh fish out of the back of his three-wheeled truck I presume is powered by a rat who is fed spaghetti and then runs on one of those mouse wheels in order to start the motor...or at least that's how I hope in my heart they work. Anyway, I guess he didn't like me taking a picture of his catch or something, but I figured it was time to run away at that point haha. You can see the pic I took of him...have it labeled...revenge.
Honestly, it's for experiences like these that I came to Italy. And I loved Viareggio for this reason. I got to see how people actually live and take part in their daily lives by actually shopping myself for produce in their market, which, subsequently, is reminiscent of Godzilla stomping through downtown Tokyo. I wouldn't have it any other way. It was great.
Oh, and by the way, it was absolutely beautiful. Palm trees, sand, sun (which has been rare since I've been here), and those Italian women...I have to admit, they are driving me insane. They're like sirens who cast their spell out at you, but then there's an invisible force field around them I presume beams out directly from their striking eyes. They are flat out evil. And wonderful. But, mostly evil...mostly.
So, that's about it. Make sure to check out the pictures I've been taking. I love it when people write comments, and just know I've read all of them and it makes me smile to see one from you all each time. Gonna take a siesta now...haven't been sleeping well.
I'll try to update later on the pizza experience.
Ciao!