EATING SPAGHETTI IN NAPOLI

When I was, young I traveled to Italy on a holiday.

I had the opportunity to visit, Venice, Rome, Pompeii, and Sicily and several other historical places.

I fell in love with this beautiful country with its ancient history and very interesting people.

I was wakened in the morning by Claudio Villa singing “Arrivederci Roma”, children playing loudly and women yelling “Mama Mia”.

For someone who was born In Denmark where being quiet and reserved was considered good manners, it was such a change to not only listen the vivaciousness of the Italian people, but I liked the free fun spirit they showed with their boisterous nature.

Their singing and “talking was not only with their mouth, but with their whole body and for me who was raised with the love for music in my home this was like a new musical revelation.

I had many interesting experiences, but the one I remember the best was when I went for A SPAGETTI DINNER in Napoli.

Living in Denmark where we were raised on meat, fish and potatoes and where we always ate AT HOME, this was a whole new experience for me.

I don’t remember ever going to a restaurant with my parents and I had never eaten SPAGHETTI. I Had no clue what it was.

I don’t remember exactly the name of the restaurant, but I remember walking in a very narrow cobblestone street until I came to the SPAGETTI RESTAURANT.

We had a personal waiter.  I did not know that when you go to a restaurant there, you would have a personal waiter and this guy was dressed in black pants and a white shirt with a black butterfly tie.

He would bow and ask us if he could lead us to our seats.  We were seated at a round table with white starched tablecloth, a red rose in a slim silver vase.  There was shining silverware and crystal salt and pepper shakers on the table, plus a container with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

The waiter was constantly holding a white starched towel over his left arm and he bowed to us every time he asked what me and my friend wanted.

We were given a basket covered with red fabric napkins holding small crusty buns and a plate of butter.

First, we ate the buns and butter.  Then they served us a salad. It was a bed of crisp green on a plate and on the side a plate with tomatoes and black olives coated in olive oil with spices. I had never seen salad and tomatoes served like that before, but I sure liked it.  I was used to my cooked vegetables except for carrots that we had in our lunch boxes.

After the salad, they served the SPAGHETTI. It was just a huge bowl of PLAIN SPAGHETTI. I was disappointed and I was wondering how to eat that? Where was the potatoes? The meat or fish? The cooked vegetables? And all the garnishes?

I was somehow unimpressed by just being served a huge bowl of some white stuff.

I was shown how to smother the spaghetti with butter and then spreading a LOT of parmesan cheese on with salt and pepper.

I was shocked and surprised how delicious PLAIN SPAGHETTI tasted.  Uhm.Uhm.  Yes, it was plain, but very tasty.

While we were eating the SPAGHETTI a musician and played Italian songs on a violin. Well, that made the SPAGHTETTI taste even better.

After eating the SPAGHETTI, we were served huge scoop of green Spumoni Ice cream in a silver cup accompanied by some delicious light cake.

The whole meal – in my Danish mind – was very plain and simple, but the way it was served was amazing and was totally sold on eating SPAGHETTI.

I thought I was in the classiest restaurant one could ask for, so I was shocked when my Italian friend said to me: “Now you have to burp” and then continued to tell me that in Italy it was considered impolite if you did not burb after a meal. Apparently – at least at time – it was a custom that when you were in a restaurant, to burp after a meal.  Otherwise the owner and servers would think did not like the food.

I started to laugh and I think you have guessed why I will always remember EATING SPAGHETTI in Napoli and why I went home to Copenhagen and cooked SPAGHETTI and have liked PLAIN SPAGHETTI with butter and Parmesan cheese and a fresh green salad with olive oil ever since.

Vibeke Lindhardt

24 March 2017