CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY EIGHT - The Morning of the Fair

"So there I was," she continued, gesturing animatedly, "trying to order some pasta with a side of grated cheese. But my Italian was... well, let's just say it needed work. The waiter looked at me oddly, but nodded and walked away. I thought everything was fine until..." She paused for dramatic effect, enjoying the rapt attention of her audience. "Until a few minutes later, when two burly men wheeled in an entire wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano, easily as big as this log we're sitting on!" Laughter erupted around the fire, and Rebecca grinned, warming to her story. She described her embarrassment, the kindness of the restaurant owner who found the whole situation hilarious, and how the entire village seemed to hear about the American girl and her cheese within hours. "For the rest of my stay, people would stop me on the street and offer me cheese," she concluded, chuckling at the memory. "I think I ate more Parmigiano in those two weeks than I had in my entire life before that!" As he