"european" news and stories

I never thought I'd see the day when I had something in common with President Bush, but here it is. Apparently we both love asparagus. Who knew?

On the German leg of his European tour last week, President Bush commented on how great the German asparagus was, saying how much he enjoys the vegetable. According to McClatchy online, the President now has a chance to sample ten pounds of Washington State asparagus, sent to the White House by two Washington State lawmakers.

Senator Patty Murray and representative Doc Hastings are naturally proud of the asparagus from their state, as Washington provides about 40% of the asparagus produced in the US. It's one of my very favorite vegetables. I'm not sure if President Bush feels as strongly about asparagus as I do, but at least he has some taste. How do you feel about asparagus?

You walk into a restaurant and, instead of the expected array of seating, there are only a handful of tables surrounding one large, central table that seats 20. The host smiles and directs you to seats between a couple reading the newspaper and a small group that is having a lively discussion. A few of the other diners seem to be keeping to themselves and a few more are drawing new people into their chatter. Generally, the food is not shared, but the space is.

The first time that you find yourself in a restaurant with a large communal table, your initial reaction might be something like mild shock because we are all so used to being seated at our own tables and not interacting with anyone other than members of our own party and the servers. Some people find it to be uncomfortable, eating a meal while seated with strangers, while others enjoy the experience.

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