Page 157 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL EATING IBERIA

thing,” he says. about my performance.
“I didn’t say play,” I respond. “I said fake.” We do The following day, armed with sunscreen and
not seem to be off to a good start. harmonicas, Lea and I drive south to Wedgeport for

I go back to the table and join Lea. If I’m not go- a private boat tour with Simone, an Acadian lob-
ing to be asked to play, at least I’ll eat well. The sterman. During the off-season, Simone and his
waiter sets down a huge platter of poutine (an brother run boat tours to his home, which he calls a
iconic dish of French fries and cheese curds topped shanty on one of 200 Tusket islands. “Shanty “ is a
with brown gravy) and then a seafood crepe stuffed strange word for a beautifully furnished cottage on
with shrimp, haddock, Digby scallops and lobster. a deserted pristine island. It is completely silent.
Naturally, right in the middle of the meal, Bob calls The only sound is the waves gently lapping against
me up to play, which means first I have to race to the shore.
the restroom to brush my teeth because you don’t Lunch is the most delicious seafood chowder
want food particles in your harmonica blocking the I’ve ever had: lobster, scallops and haddock and a
reeds. bright pink sauce, not the red Manhattan or white
We play a medium-fast blues song. Bob’s voice New England chowder colors with which I am fa-
– low and melodious - is really good, and the bass miliar. This is followed by Rabbie Pie, a traditional
player is spot on. The audience screams out their Acadian dish of grated potatoes and onions, one
applause as he introduces me as “the harmonica that I don’t love. Maybe it’s an acquired taste.
player from America.” I figure he’s going to say Simone and I adjourn to the sunny porch where
thank you and ask me to leave the stage, but he he pulls out his guitar and sings a song in Acadian. I
keeps me up for another four songs. When I finally don’t understand what he’s singing, but you don’t
step down the audience claps and I feel really good need to know the words to play music. We play for

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