Another post from the Dougmeister (Let me say at the outset, that I do NOT agree with Doug’s characterization of this event.  I agree it was awful, but my eagerness according to him was nothing of the sort)!!!!  I mean, come on, you all know me!

Today’s adventure included a trip to the Western sea off Tuscany Italy.  After driving several hundred kilometers through beautiful countryside and innumerable tunnels through the hillsides, we finally arrived at our destination, Follonica.

After a few false starts through the city, we finally wound up on the road that paralleled the sea shore.  Parking the car, we discussed finding something to eat after allowing my Child Bride an opportunity to roam the waters edge.

After an hour or so of wandering, we headed back toward the car, passing several restaurants which were already closed for the pausa.  Spying a large one jutting over the water, we decided to give it a try.

Upon being seated, we were served water and menus which consisted of three pages of seafood (in Italian of course) and a small area of “terra” food.

When the waiter arrived to take our orders, Lynda piped up with “we want to branch out and try seafood” with Dale eagerly backing her up.  What?  Dale wants seafood?  This will get interesting FAST!

The waiter suggested their 16 euro appetizer plates, consisting of both hot and cold seafood.  Read that as cooked and raw.  He also suggested a bottle of white Tuscan wine, also 16 euros.

Lynda and Dale enthusiastically agreed and lunch was on!  Our first course consisted of a small dish of octopus with some kind of sauce, a chunk of raw fish (maybe salmon) wrapped around some cream cheese, something that looked vaguely like a coated olive suspended over olive oil and something that resembled a crostini.

Octopus being the only thing I recognized for sure, I started with that. Hmmm, not bad, I’ve definitely had worse.  Even Dale admitted to its being edible.  Just barely.

Next up, the olive, which turned out to be raw tuna, rolled around in some kind of equally disgusting crap.  Oh well, only one bite and it was gone.  Still disgusting but gone.

Time to try the crostini.  Wow, pretty good, until I learned it was cooked clams and mussels in some kind of tomato sauce.  Still pretty tasty though.

Oh, forgot to mention there was a BUNCH of cooked squid.  At least they’d been cut up and cleaned, unlike the crap we ate in Venice a few years back.  Not bad at all!

The Salmon on the other hand was just plain nasty.  It was large enough to require two bites, the second one being somewhat akin to chewing the liver out of a large 3 day old shark.

The next course arrived, consisting of a small tin of something.  Upon opening it I found several small octopus in some kind of broth.  They had been cooked to the point of their little mantles being separated from the bodies.  Dale announced that they were octopus and beans, whereupon I speared one, held it up in his face and asked what kind of beans has eyes?

I am now back in Pergine Valdarno, drinking tequila in hopes of killing all those squid and octopus in my stomach as they battle for conquest of their new little world.