Lately, I’ve become somewhat of a lemon expert, but in a peculiar sort of way. You see, unlike most connoisseurs, the taste of the lemon doesn’t concern me in the slightest! It all started when I was training to break the speed record for peeling and eating a five-ounce lemon. For weeks I searched though hundreds, possibly thousands, of lemons to find the perfect fruit for the record. Now, whenever I see a lemon, I automatically size it up for how fast I can gobble it down!
Maybe that is why when my friends and I recently went into the restaurant of a small hotel in Kaliakra, Bulgaria, I immediately noticed the bowl of lemons sitting on a table in the reception area. I was perplexed. I could understand if the bowl had been full of apples. After all, an apple would make a nice snack for one of the guests. But a lemon?
Anyway, the food at the restaurant was so good that I soon forgot about trying to solve the lemon puzzle. After we finished our meal, the owner of the hotel came over and suggested we climb up the stairs to his observation deck on the roof and admire the view. The village was indeed charming, but what really caught my eye was a beautiful cat serenely sitting on the roof about 20 yards away. I called the cat and he dutifully trotted over and let me pick him up. Whenever I see a cat or dog in the street, I try to approach and pet it, but this was no street cat. His fur was exceptionally clean and silky, and he simply radiated robustness and well-being. In fact, he was possibly the healthiest cat I’ve ever met. Within seconds he was purring noisily and I reluctantly put him back down only when my friends threatened to drive off without me!
Lately, I’ve become somewhat of a lemon expert, but in a peculiar sort of way. You see, unlike most connoisseurs, the taste of the lemon doesn’t concern me in the slightest! It all started when I was training to break the speed record for peeling and eating a five-ounce lemon. For weeks I searched though hundreds, possibly thousands, of lemons to find the perfect fruit for the record. Now, whenever I see a lemon, I automatically size it up for how fast I can gobble it down!
Maybe that is why when my friends and I recently went into the restaurant of a small hotel in Kaliakra, Bulgaria, I immediately noticed the bowl of lemons sitting on a table in the reception area. I was perplexed. I could understand if the bowl had been full of apples. After all, an apple would make a nice snack for one of the guests. But a lemon?
Anyway, the food at the restaurant was so good that I soon forgot about trying to solve the lemon puzzle. After we finished our meal, the owner of the hotel came over and suggested we climb up the stairs to his observation deck on the roof and admire the view. The village was indeed charming, but what really caught my eye was a beautiful cat serenely sitting on the roof about 20 yards away. I called the cat and he dutifully trotted over and let me pick him up. Whenever I see a cat or dog in the street, I try to approach and pet it, but this was no street cat. His fur was exceptionally clean and silky, and he simply radiated robustness and well-being. In fact, he was possibly the healthiest cat I’ve ever met. Within seconds he was purring noisily and I reluctantly put him back down only when my friends threatened to drive off without me!
On the way out of the hotel, I pondered this second mystery. What was the supercat’s secret? Was it the country air? Bulgarian yogurt? Fortunately, at that moment, I bumped into the hotel owner. I immediately mentioned the amazing feline, and he excitedly replied, “Of course, that’s my Sascha” and he proceeded to call out his pet’s name. Sure enough, Sacha came running along the rooftop ledge and stopped directly above where we were standing. The owner then unwrapped a piece of fried cheese that he had been holding, and threw the snack onto the roof. As Sacha energetically devoured the morsel, the owner smiled and said something intriguing, “You see, Sascha eats everything, but believe it or not, he is especially fond of lemons!”
