I wasn't going to........

.....tell you about our lunch with Giusseppe and Mimma because it would just be a lunch and we've spoken about other lunches. However, this one really shows a difference in the eating habits of the sea-loving Sicilians and us "landlubbers."

As it happened, we didn't have to brave the congested highways to get to our restaurant. Apparently everyone who was going somewhere was already there. The roads looked like 2:00 p.m. on Christmas Day in the States. Maybe ten cars in the 30 minute drive.

Due to unexpected circumstances (completely different, boring, story) we rode, again, with Giusseppe and Mimma to a restaurant which had its own parking facility. Thank goodness because the roads in Capo Mulini (excuse me, road...only one here, no kidding. It goes in a circle through this little town on the sea) were bumper to bumper with people hunting for a parking place in order to get to the beach.

Inside the restaurant it was very difficult to find anything except seafood on the menu....... antipasti, pasta, main dishes, all seafood. Bob wanted a salad and we had to ask for that to be specially made, when it came it had lettuce and radicchio with olive oil.......that's all. I found an antipasto with cheese, prosciutto and olives for me then ordered shrimp for my main meal.

The restaurant, as most in Sicily, has its own before-meal appetizers the waiter brings to your table; bread (always in Sicily) and the house specialty, sea urchin. There were about 12 sea urchins turned upside down on the plate and I really felt that if I tried to eat one I would be sick. You know, that one food that just turns your stomach to even think of it? (I must preface this with letting you know that neither Bob nor I like Sushi but at least Bob has tried it. For me, it's just the thought of it that makes me refuse though our kids say it's delicious).

Not to be impolite, because we were the guests, Bob and I watched as Mimma showed us how to eat these sea urchins. Scrape the sides with a spoon then scoop out the insides with a piece of your bread. I was able to talk myself into trying this new dish, "Be a gracious guest, be brave. After all how bad can it be."................ I won't tell you the taste because that became terrifically insignificant, unimportant and forgotten when Bob said, "Hon, look." There, on his plate, the sea urchin was moving!!!!!!!!! A-a-a-ack!!! IT WAS ALIVE!!! It was "walking" off the plate. That was just WAY too much for me. I was finished with being gracious. I quietly (after exclaiming, "E viva!!") set my plate aside and ate bread. (for any of you who speak Italian, I know the grammar is wrong but I wasn't thinking of grammar at the time)

The rest of the meal was uneventful and maybe I redeemed myself a bit by eating a bit of all the other foods presented but, I really had no appetite for seafood after that. From now on I may just eat all my seafood at Long John Silvers.