After a leisurely day strolling around Varenna, Italy my husband and I headed to a quaint restaurant for dinner. The small restaurant could probably seat 40 people (max). Our indoor table for two was seated next to a table set for 30. We were a little concerned it was going to be a noisy wedding party but thought maybe we would be done before they got there and proceeded to sit. The waiter poured us a complementary glass of Prosecco (I love that tradition in Italy). The Prosecco was light and refreshing with a good flavor to it so we decided to order a bottle. We ordered the marinated octopus salad for an appetizer just the power went out. Not missing a beat, the waiter lit all the candles and it was business as usual. It was very magical to be in a dark, cave-like restaurant lit only with candles. As we were about to toast to a great trip, the lights came back on and in walked a sailor; then 29 more! The table was set for the Italian Navy! As we tried to enjoy our romantic dinner by candlelight, with our bottle of Prosecco, we were continually distracted. My back was to the table of sailors and I kept seeing my husband smiling and laughing at the antics going on behind me.
Here are the highlights:
• Every time the power came back (it was on and off many times throughout the evening) on the navy would burst into song. Be it happy birthday, the national anthem, or twinkle, twinkle little star...
• They were doing funny things with their hats (making them into bread baskets, flipping down the brim and using their napkins as face masks (making them look like bandits about to rob the place), using them as bandanas, etc…)
• They got into a bread fight with the bread in the baskets.
• One guy behind me tapped me on the shoulder and said he liked my hair.
• Another guy apologized for ruining our romantic date (which I assured him they weren’t).
• They were giving toasts and teasing each other.
• One guy developed a crush on me and decided to shower me with gifts. The first time he walked by on the way back from the bathroom and handed me a fake flower from a bouquet in the bathroom. The next time he offered me a huge painting that he had taken off the wall (this got him in trouble with the lady of the house who scolded him). That didn’t stop him because the next thing he offered me was a fire hydrant.
• Amidst all of this liveliness going on in the dining room, I witnessed the chef come out of the kitchen, yell at the lady of the house, throw his apron on the ground and storm out. Essentially quitting with a dining room of hungry sailors (and us).
This craziness did not put a damper on our evening at all. The chef eventually came back, after I presume a shot and a cigarette. We ended up ordering another bottle of Prosecco, which paired well with our fantastic meal (I had homemade pasta with lobster and my husband had the local fish dish).
We were there for a little over three hours. We had a great time. The service was slow but it didn’t faze us at all. Our glass was always full and we and we had live entertainment that I would’ve paid money for.
As we got up to leave, the entire Italian Navy stood up and serenaded us and thanked us for putting up with their antics. We thanked them for the song and the entertainment and stumbled out into the night. I say stumbled because 2 bottle of Prosecco had us feeling a little tipsy!
FYI - if there are any women reading this – yes, these men were HOT. They were men in their mid-30s; not boys.
Some memories can be recreated but as for this one, there is no way.
If you are curious about the winners of the essay, here is the link: http://content.corkd.com/2010/03/29/corkd-icswi-announce-winners-of-the-sparkling-wine-vacaction-of-a-lifetime/
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