MEMORABLE EATS
I don't know if it was because we were hungry all the time back-packing around Europe or because of the beautiful settings, but I still remember several moments when food seemed especially "heavenly."
One of my favorite things to do in Athens, Greece, was to sit in a large outside cafe in front of the McDonald's, across the square from the Parliament Building, and drink coffee and enjoy the delicious bread, butter and jam available close by. From that spot, you could watch people from all over the world walk by. It was cheap, absolutely delicious and spectacular. I would go there at least once, twice or three times a day just to sit, sip and spy on the crowd walking by! I would sit there for hours in a perfect state of relaxation.
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On another occasion, my traveling friends and I were invited by some people we met in Taize to stop by a chalet in Switzerland where they were staying. We got there late in the evening, so we could not see much of the setting. I guess we were lucky to even find it. Anyway, stayed up drinking with them until it was time to go to bed. In the morning, we woke up to one of the most beautiful rural settings you can imagine. What woke me up was the sound of a bell around the neck of a grazing cow. We were on the side of a mountain, looking at snow-covered mountain peaks across the valley from our chalet. Some of our group had gotten up early and made coffee and breakfast. They had it all set out on a table outside waiting for us! All you could hear was the whispering breeze, a cow bell off in the distance and a rooster crowing! It had to be the most amazing breakfast experience I have ever had, even though I have no memory of where it happened in beautiful Switzerland!
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The food in Taize, where we camped out with hundreds of youth from around the world, was minimal: boiled eggs, sliced French bread, sausages and a slice or two of cheese. However, we would hitch-hike to the next town where the historic Abbey of Cluny once stood to a little tea shop. There we could enjoy the little French pastries that the French are famous for! They were no bigger than an inch across, each one holding a small piece of some kind of fruit or cheese, but out of this world delicious.
One day, we decided to stop at a truck stop for lunch because we had heard that truck stops in France were known for serving inexpensive hot lunches. They were right! French food on the cheap! It was delicious, inexpensive, filling and lip-smacking! I decided that day that if I ever went back to France, I would only stop at truck stops out in the country and avoid the expensive, irritatingly snooty and stingy portions of the urban restaurants.
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