In gamba

May 1st is celebrated as the festival of workers in many parts of the world, with places from China to France having a day off. Last night, after an eventful day in the office, Chiara, my friend from work, and I went for dinner at a place called Il Santo Bevitore. On the Oltrarno, I went there once before on the occasion of the first book club. Its a great place, large but still friendly and we sat at the bar and tucked into aged proscuitto, pecorino from Sardinia with fig chutney and some delicious bread, followed by Pappa al Pomodoro - a tomato soup-type concoction, with bread in it.
Inside the menus there is a phrase written "Ecco quello che sono veramente, sbronzo, cattiva, ma in gamba." I wanted to translate it, but a direct translation won't capture it.
In literal terms, the phrase says 'This is what I really am, drunk, wicked, but ...' it is then that I hit the difficulty.
Gamba is the word for leg. When I have heard the expression used in the past, it is used in the context of when someone is a good person to know - he's in gamba - a compliment. I looked it up in various online dictionaries and the translations that are used indicate 'on the ball' ' no flies on them', but basically its a good thing.
After a bottle of wine and dinner we went over to Santa Spirito. It is a real sign that summer is on the way, as when I have passed the Piazza in the winter it has been totally deserted. Now though there are a few stragglers sitting around the fountain, and many more huddled onto the church steps. Come the summer, when an enterprising soul parks a shipping container and turns it into a bar, and there is live music every night at 9, the place is heaving. Still at this time of the year, you can meet people, and we had a long chat with 2 Tuscan guys who were out for a quiet drink like us. One was from Florence, but did stress that this didn't mean he wasn't 'in gamba'.