Ok, I admit it. While I think blogging is a great idea it sure is hard to keep it up! I’ve been so engulfed in just being here it’s been hard to find time at the computer.
So how do I possible sum up the last 3 days. How about: overwhelming; awesome; gastronomical!
Not gonna do it, huh?
Well, first of all I’ve been drinking a lot of Italian beer and no Italian wine. Seems a bit odd to be in Italy and not drink the wine, but it just doesn’t quite feel like what my body wants. Beer, on the other hand, seems to be working just fine!
I’ve tried a variety of Italian beers from the local microbrews. I’ve noticed a preference for Italian stouts which tend to be full flavoured and sweet, while I have been disappointed in the IPAs which are somewhat bland and not nearly as hoppy and aromatic as I prefer (missing the Fat Tug here!). Seems that beer and microbrews is perhaps an emerging phenomena here, but hard to know in half Italian/Half English conversation!
Did a great olive oil tasting the other night. It was amazing the variety of flavours and viscosity and how much different the oils are from those we get in Canada. The dominant think I have notices is a very distinct grassy flavour, which reminds me very much of wheatgrass. It’s not my favourite flavour in the world by any means, but when people keep telling you something is amazing, you have to start believing them and changing your tastes. That said, the foie gras I tried last night as we lounged around the hotel lobby tasted more like Whiskas cat food than something worth force feeding a duck or goose for.
But I digress…
I’m hoping to get in some good conversations on urban farming today – which has been lacking very much here. I will be staffing the Canada booth with Seann Dory from SOLEFood and a whole collection of pictures we both brought so hopefully we can draw some folks attention to what we’re doing in Vancouver.
Today is the last day of the event and it is much quieter – which is a very welcome relief. Yesterday I wasn’t even able to go into the venue until about 8:00pm as the throngs of people acted like an energy force field that kept me away. Try to imagine 10 acres of land packed shoulder to shoulder with people eating and drinking and you get a sense of how intense this event is! That said, seeing so many people here really speaks to the depth that food holds in Italian culture.
OK, off to explore before it gets too busy again!
chris
