Traveling with a group of doctors during a convention certainly has its benefits. Not only do they eat well, they can also be, without even trying, some of the funniest people.

Bica do Sapato was our venue for dinner last night and unfortunately it could have started on better footing. Our group was initially told that there was no reservation, and then given attitude when we asked if we could get a bigger table or if it was possible to be seated outside. With that unfortuitous start, one of the elders in our table was pretty much the Debbie Downer of the group going so far as to suggest getting the name of the hostess so we can file a complaint, threatened to write a bad review online, and went on to read one scathing Tripadvisor review after another, focusing several times on the frosty service and the overrated food. She later stood on her feet to conspicuously photograph everyone’s meal with an iPad. Dinner talk on the other hand dabbled in among other things, a plenary speaker’s fascination with pubic hair and collecting samples from everyone in the conference, to questioning our waiter’s Portuguese ethnicity and commenting how beautiful his eyes were…to his face.

It was a memorable dinner, not only because the restaurant and the food were highly recommended – though not by Tripadvisor apparently – but for the different cast of characters that somehow come into our lives and make it more interesting.