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Something fishy...

From fresh mozzarella-topped pizza to coffee-soaked tiramisu, the food is by far my favorite thing about Italy.

But nothing is perfect.

My boyfriend and I went to an off-the-beaten-path fish restaurant last Wednesday. This was the type of place that didn't have menus, you just sat and got served. First came eight plates of antipasti: A variety of mussels, oysters, stuffed clams and baby octopus. Next came a small portion of risotto with scampi, followed by spaghetti with clams and then a pasta with red sauce. As if that wouldn't sufficiently stuff us, we were then faced with a platter of fried calamari and shrimp. The meal ended with lemon sorbet and a fruit platter. Despite the amount, it was so good that we practically licked our plates clean.

The next day my boyfriend woke up with a stomachache. After attempting to eat, he quickly realized that he couldn't hold anything down. When he broke out in a fever, it was obvious what was going on.

Food poisoning.

Travelers in Italy -- as in many countries -- have to be wary of what they eat. With Italy's badly enforced sanitation laws and abundance of small, family-run osterie, one has be be especially careful. Fish should only be eaten in restaurants near the sea. Restaurants in the city centers are less likely to serve fresh fish. And always ask the locals for suggestions on where to eat as opposed to finding a place on your own.

Luckily for my boyfriend, it passed pretty quickly.

When I first moved to Italy I had gotten food poisoning from fish in Venice. I was bedridden for four days and couldn't eat or drink the entire time. What a drag that was: Being in the land of amazing food and unable to eat.

Posted by Kelsea at 11:39 AM | Comments (2)