On Saturday morning, we strolled to the open produce market on the main pedestrian walkway in Lausanne. Our goal was to acquire some nice things for a lunch at home. As we strolled through the stalls however, we realized that our minimal-at-best language skills were not going to cut it. There is a rather intense sounding dialogue that takes place over open-air fruits and vegetables and watching it made me feel as though I was in one of those actor nightmares where you show up on opening night and don't know any of your lines.

(edit: we now know that we would have been fine and were just being cowards)

So we contented ourselves instead with wandering through the streets and simply admiring the wares on display.

Then the food surrounding us started to play mind games.

And soon our stomachs were rumbling.

Anthony located a tiny pizza parlor in the nick of time. Just as my stomach rumblings were making small objects begin to fall off shelves.

Pizzaesfizi: vendor of temptingly decadent Italian style pizzas.

There were about six different pizzas to choose from,

(white bean and bacon to zucchini and gorgonzola to pecorino and pepper)

and in my hunger I burst out "Yes. Hello. I would like to try ALL THE PIZZAS!"*

The chef looked at me very seriously and said "you can have as many as you like you know" and picking up a pair of scissors continued, "just point to the ones you want and tell me how much you would like of each and I will cut a slice for you"

(Then my head exploded from happiness.)

We ended up trying five of the options, each one more delicious than the last. When we had exhausted the plate and had unceremoniously adjusted our belts, my inner Veruca Salt was finally content.

(Now all I want is an Oompa Loompa.)

*Some paraphrasing and slight exaggeration may have occurred. When I am hungry, short term memory functions shut down to conserve energy.