Scores of young starlings are sitting on the golf course fence enjoying the morning sunshine. It's learn to fly season.
The starlings wait until we draw level then fly off and settle down twenty yards away. As we draw close they take off again. They repeat this over and over. I'm guessing that young starlings face few threats ( sparrow hawks excepted ) and have ample time to play. Judging by the numbers this seems to be a bumper year for starlings.
A group of Italian men barge ahead of us at the fish mongers . One treads on my toes. They are surprised to be told, in Italian, that there's a queue. They are unapologetic. We chose to ignore one of them who asks ' Who do they think they are ?' He prefaces 'they' with an intensifier. The New Yorker is full of articles about people who move to Italy who spend their days reading Dante and restoring 16th century Majolica. Angus, rather more prosaically, developed a fluency in plumbing and roofing terminology and ( from a wide variety of tradesmen ) the ability to swear like a trooper in a Tuscan dialect. I choose to ignore the rude Italian.
The lobsters were in the water two hours ago. They look fresh but sad. We opt for some lemon sole and some dressed crab. There's also a salmon tail. We are given a free lemon. Access to really fresh fish is one of the delights of living here.
On our way home there are stops to pick up strawberries and a granary loaf.
While waiting to be served In the bakers Angus finds an almond and white chocolate chip cake. This seems like and excellent combination. 'The Font' wonders what it must be like to go through life with the food tastes of an eight year old. Coming from someone who enjoys eating raw marinated fish this comment is ignored.
9 comments:
You are so fortunate to be able to get 'fresh from the boat' seafood. Ours has to be filtered through wholesalers and goodness only knows who else before we can get hold of it.
I read your statecraft piece with amusement - we're lucky nothing worse has happened - the world is full of nutters! on the loose. - you and me excepted!
Keeping the child alive in the adult is quite important!
Hari Om
I admit I may have been inclined to tell the q-jumper that I was a regular of the shop and who exactly he thought HE was... So I'm glad it was you and your diplomacy who faced him! Very interesting read about the desalination. YAM xx
You are a gentleman with your diplomacy. Although my taste in food lines up with The Font's, a slice of that almond and white chocolate chip cake would be tasty with a morning cup of coffee. Such a beautiful Saturday in St. Andrews...enjoy your day!
Some responses are best kept to oneself, whether to a rude stranger or an observant spouse. I would like the strawberries, please.
The ability to curse in multiple languages is a gift, knowing when not to is discretion of a gentleman.
Many years ago, at a Parisian wine bar, an Italian party tried to pay with a 500 euro note, and the waiter replied, “what do think I am, the Banque of France?”
What makes a lobster look sad?
I have found myself over my lifetime bouncing back and forth between a healthy diet and indulging my sweet tooth. Sometimes as I check out at a grocery store, I will look at the items I have chosen and say to the cashier "apparently my inner child did the grocery shopping this week!"
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