Monday, April 5th, 2010

Bergamo ochre
As soon as I arrived on a late morning in March in the medieval city of Bergamo (
Bergamo set on flickr), high up on a hill, the rain having washed its tiled and pebbled streets and the ochery renders of the Renaissance and Baroque buildings, food and drink were not far from my thoughts. It didn’t take long for my eyes and senses to be sated. As soon as I got off the bus at the entrance to the CittĂ Alta at Largo Colle Aperto, the damp air carried the sweet scents of mountains and lunch. If you enter the city this way, you have the chance to amble (slowly with a case) along the main drags through town, Via B. Colleoni and Via Gombito which have as one of their foci the impressive Torre Gombito, a vestige of penis envy wars from the Middle Ages. I had no expectations of the food in Lombardy. I have eaten in many cities and regions and while there is certainly the kind of regionalism that you read about and watch on TV, but that doesn’t always permeate into the ristoranti, trattorie, enoteche and caffè that visitors find themselves eating and drinking in. The curse of the ‘clone Italian’ is getting as much prevalent in Italy (major destinations at least) as in the UK even if their interpretations are different.
Bergamo, however, surprised me from the start. (more…)
Tags: Bergamo, bevande, cibo, cuisine, drink, food, Italia, Italy, Lombardia, Lombardy, San Vigilio, travel
Posted in beauty, food, happy, pleasure | 1 Comment »
Thursday, February 8th, 2007
Isn’t it beautiful? I am aching to try it. We will cut it on the day of the Mongolian New Year, Tsagaan Sar.
I made it last year in September at Hartpury College. We were taught by Judy from Wharf Farm Dairy. It is a goats milk cheddar. Thank you, Judy, for such a wonderful experience. I can’t wait for more.
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Wednesday, March 22nd, 2006
As the celestial bull tosses the spinning earth from one of its horns to the other at the moment of the vernal (spring) equinox (this year at 18.26 GMT on 20 March), the Nowruz orange, so still in a bowl of clear water, wobbles. The new year has begun and we will find Spring and all its promises. Enjoy more images of Nowruz, the Zoroastrian and Persian New Year on my flickr set of Nowruz photographs and take away a flavour of how it is celebrated.
Posted in celebrate, happy, oranges | 2 Comments »
Friday, January 20th, 2006
The air smelt different this morning, and it buzzed. I am excited for Spring. This was late Spring in Roman Ostia last year.
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