Walking Via Roma in the "Old Town" of Monterosso al Mare in Cinque Terre, I happened upon this classic scene: a stray cat (they're everywhere in Italy!), perched on the stone windowsill of an open kitchen. The chef was stirring up kitty favorites: mussels, prawns, clams and more. The cat didn't dare overstep his bounds, and the chef rewarded him occasionally with a sample. Respect. Bravo!