When I was a child my grandma Norma loved to tell the story of the time she found some abalone while at the beach. Gran was swimming at a beach near Adelaide in South Australia and stopped off to explore some rockpools. While poking around the rocks she found several large abalone, a time of mollusc - like a sea snail. Somehow Gran managed to prise them off the rocks. I don't know how she did it since most people who harvest wild abalone use a knife blade or flat-head screwdriver since the mollusc is very strong and will clamp itself to the rock if disturbed.
Anyways Gran managed to prise several abalone off the rock with the intention of taking them home to eat, since she had been told that they were delicious, a real delicacy in some countries. It wasn't until she had gotten them off the rocks that Gran remembered that she had no way to get them home. She had caught the bus to the beach and hadn't bought a bag since she wore her bathing costume under her clothing.
However, being the creative one, Gran stuffed the abalone down the front of her bathing costume before heading off to the bus stop. It was only once she was on the bus that Gran realised one uncomfortable problem...the abalone were still alive!! Initially the abalone had frozen in fear but they soon re-woke and began slithering around exploring their new (temporary) home.
Gran said it was one of the most uncomfortable bus journeys that she had ever taken. Trying to keep a straight face and sit still as these snails slithered wetly around inside her clothing. I never remember her saying how they tasted or if they even ate them at all, in the end.
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