Thank god! We missed McDonald's.

I’m adaptable. For a while, looked like my Italian true love and I might opt for New year’s Eve dinner at McDonald’s.  Munching on a McBurger and sipping a McFlurry. We had arrived a few hours earlier. In Bari. A nice city.  On the Adriatic Sea. In the south of Italy. Of course, we assumed there would be no problem. Finding a nice Italian restorante or pizza parlor. Without reservation.  Not so. We went from one place to another.  No way could we get in. First, most pizza places were shut down. For the evening. Because Italians like to eat special stuff on New Year’s eve. Not mere pizza. And the finer and even less-finer eating establishments were booked solid.  Yes, around 8 o’clock visions of McDonald’s were dancing in my head. I was adjusting to the idea. Though my true love had not yet given up.  She’s persistent. And patience often reaps dividends. It did. We stumbled across a place. That still had a vacant table. And a set menu. We had to take what came. I lost count of the servings. Maybe 6 or 7. More or less.  Appetizers galore.  A pasta dish. Huge shrimp.  Desserts. Including a special Italian cake.  White wine, too. Came to 129 euros. Or about $150 in U.S. currency. Would have been cheaper at McDonald’s. But not quite as tasty. Anyway, we were back out on the cobblestone streets. Before the New Year. In time to discover a very loud rock band.  With psychedelic lighting bouncing off a Greek columned building. Got back to our hotel. At 10 minutes to midnight. In time to hear what sounded like the breakout of World War III. Firecrackers. Spectacular pyrotechnics.  Yes, Italians take celebrating the New Year in a very, very festive way. Beyond anything I’ve ever seen or heard in America. And thank god.  We bypassed McDonald’s. –Jim Broede