Imagine you're strolling down a busy street in the middle of Florence , your stomache loudly rumbles, and several florentines give you a sympathetic look. You're so hungry your trembling and your insides feel like coming outside... in short you are desperate for some sort of nourishment. At this point you don't even care what it is, as long as it is available and edible. Suddenly the most delicious smell wafts over you. Just like characters in cartoons following the floating white scent ribbons, you follow the smell back to it's source: the pretzel cart. A friendly and portly man in a greasy white apron smiles invitingly as he says hello and starts to chatter in Italian, you give him a dazed smile and hungrily point to what you want. You are handed the biggest pretzel you've ever seen tucked in a simple white napkin. Its soft and warm, misted with butter and sprinkled with kosher salt.
I have never tasted anything so delicious. Nothing has ever, and probably will never compare to the pretzel I devoured that day or the three following it. I can still taste them in my mouth and to this day my mouth still waters. I crave them almost every single day. Walking past a pretzel shop is pure torture... I long to inside but I know that dissapointment is all that is waiting inside the doors. I've made a vow though.. I will go back one day, just so I can have another pretzel.
This draft wasn't that much different than my origional. I added a couple of sentences, deleted a few and rearranged a few more. One thing I realize, though is that writing has the most amazing power.... it can make you unbelievably hungry.
Wow, those sound absolutely amazing! I've always wanted to go to Italy and half the reason if just for the food. I know there's probably no comparison to the real thing, but when I was little there was this soft pretzel place at the huge indoor mall we always went to and they were to die for. I miss them, slathered in salt, sometimes sugar, and butter. Yum, is right.
ReplyDeleteMmm. I LOVE Italian food. This just made me want to go back. I never tried pretzels there though... what a good reason to go back!
ReplyDeleteI went to Europe this summer and it was delicious. I ate SOOOO many pretzels.
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