The most memorable meal I ever ate was free sardines. About 30 years ago, I was in a small town in France on the Mediterranean coast beside the border with Spain. On one of the Christian festivals (Assumption, I think), the local fishermen feed the entire town on a feast of grilled sardines, baguettes and the local wine. I was invited to join them.
The festival took place (and maybe still does) in the dock area, the ugliest part of an otherwise beautiful town, and hundreds of people enjoyed the beautiful fresh sardines without a care for the surroundings. I can't remember how many sardines I ate - a lot. Excellent peaches were also provided for dessert.
Thinking back, my sardine counting failure may have had something to do with the buckets of wine I also had.
