ROFL (*cough*)

London left me with an annoying cold and a nagging cough.
Damn English weather!
Anyway, I thought it would be smart to go get some cough syrup, so grabbed my Italian phrasebook and headed to the local chemist.
I half used the book, half did charades... only to have the lady behind the counter say in perfect English "so you need something for a chesty cough, do you?"
She was actually what you would imagine an Italian pharmacist to be, if you were (say) in the adult entertainment industry. Long legs, long shiny black hair... the works.
Anyway, I get the syrup, and then she says... "you might want to go and light a candle to Saint Blase... It can't hurt". I probably looked confused enough for her to explain to me that said Saint Blase is the patron saint of sore throats!
And I had no idea!
Wasn't sure if she was serious or not, but checked good old wiki and she was absolutely right.
So here goes... This is what anyone with half a brain should say when he has a bit of a throat thing... "Per intercessionem Sancti Blasii liberet te Deus a malo gutteris et a quovis alio malo."

Or in English... May God at the intercession of Saint Blaise preserve you from throat troubles and every other evil.

Learn something new everyday. I wonder who's the patron saint of sore feet...