The gondolas are indeed everywhere. And clearly being a gondolier is one of the last places women have not yet penetrated. Apparently the men guard this privilege quite intensely, the few licenses here are inherited (I think through the widows, but it's not really clear).

One day women, one day.

For now, it's nice to watch the burly men in black and white pushing people through the canals of Venice . . . .

Venice, yeah that's right, Venice

Who knew??? This place of 20,000 tourists a day, gondolas, impossible streets (how we found our hotel I'll never know, but it involved roaming and just sort of sensing the turns to a little courtyard with a little, almost impossible to read sign), the Grand Canal, and the most amazing Palace. 47 styles and colors and religions and types of marble and art just sort of slopped together and somehow it all works.

All of you, if you are reading this, must drop everything and come to Venice right now. What else is there to do????

Quan and Sarah in Firenze

Having a great time on the Ponte Vecchio!! (This is V's son Quan and Quan's girlfriend Sarah, who popped down to Florence from London for a few days to hit the museums with us).

Toilets, again

I do like checking out different bathrooms around the world. My first bathroom in Torino (Turin) was a squatter. Took me a minute to figure it out, not that it's so complicated but my mind was refusing to register.

Also, I love the two options for water usage. Little buttons for just pee, bigger buttons (sometimes with very graphic icons) for, you know . . .

The Uffizi with Quan and Sarah

We've spent hundreds of dollars on museums and amazing meals with Sarah and Quan (Aviathar's son and his girlfriend who flew in from London).

Today, I saw The Birth of Venus by Botticelli (in the Uffizi) and Night and Day statues by Michelangelo (in the Medici chapel) and a few da Vinci's. The Michelangelo statue here is of "Day" and shows a man with an unfinished face (pictured here). Unfinished because the day is unfinished . . . Fiorentini (I think that's how you spell it) has so many beautiful paintings as well. Yesterday we walked through the Boboli gardens outside the Palazio and saw an amazing recreation of a Pompeii house. They collected rain and used the power from the collected rain to create beautiful fountains. Amazing and so long ago. Here we are now just learning how to do this again.

And each home had its own garden with food, herbs and medicines. Once again, a sign that we should move in this direction in our homes. Not just a few in the countryside but right in towns across America.

There is much hope here in Italy that Obama will be elected. They are following the American election very closely here. It is the talk in many places and makes front page news everyday. Here in Italy they are convinced that he will win. What is the feeling there?? The world is watching us!!!!

Cinque Terra

No words to describe Cinque Terra, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Many of the delegates from the Slow Food nation are here bathing in the beauty. We are traveling with winemakers from Napa (the Wilson's) and a marine biologist working with shellfish in Martha's Vineyard.

Sacra di San Michele

Hello anyone who's reading!  Yesterday we had a break from the workshops and different groups took off throughout the region of Piemonte.  I traveled with a student from Sonomo State, Jewel, to the Sacra di San Michele, pictured above.  This monastery was built in 966 (but nobody knows for sure).  When we got off the train and looked up, our hearts stopped.  The top picture is the view from the train.  The guidebook said it was an hour and a half walk!  Yeah right.  It's a 2 hour walk from the train to the other side of that mountain before you even start the straight up the hill you've got to be kidding hike.  'Cause I'm in that great of shape.

But I huffed and I puffed.  And I hiked up to that monastery.

In the Italian alps thank you very much.

I have many more things to say, but I am being kicked off the computer.  So, for now, ciao.

Lots of love.

Teresa

Carlo Petrini, President of the Slow Food Nation

So, so many things he said. I was so inspired I kept forgetting to write it down!

We have learned that multilateralism doesn not work. There are 1 billion malnourished people on the earth. 1 out of 6 humans. This is an epoch-making defeat. Why? The rich, wealthy countries did not keep up with their promises.

It would have required another 30 billions dollars.

Of course, the international bank bailout has totaled over 2,000 billion dollars, which we quickly put together.

WE MUST BE OUTRAGED BY THIS. AND PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE ARE OUTRAGED BY THIS.

When the price of rice and wheat doubled, it was hard for many. In Italy, 15% of people's income goes to food. It meant cutting back on other things, luxury items, vacations, new houses. In most of the world though, 50 to 80% of income goes to food. When the price doubles, it means PEOPLE CANNOT AFFORD TO EAT.

The time of this shameful, fictional financial system is over. He believes that the market economy can be rejuvenated through giving value on a rural economy and the focus on small-scale production.

Quality, organic food is not a luxury, it is a right for all humans. When you hear somebody say that we should tap the markets of the rich with organic foods, KICK HIM OUT. We produce organic food for all.

He talked about the old farmers started to die off and the need to film them. He urged Slow Food to get out the cameras and go around filming and recording the wisdom of the elders. Especially the indigenous populations who know how to farm with diversity, who knew how to cook and eat with seasonal menus, reduce emissions and provide healthy, nutritious foods.

He talked about pushing towards not refrigerating everything and bringing back full pantries. And eliminating waste.

The third industrial revolution is coming. The first was the steam engine. The second was electricity and fossil fuels. The third is with clean, sustainable energy.

He reminded us that human activity is based on photosynthesis.

The greatest wealth on Earth is our diversity. It is the guarantee that we will evolve. If everyone were the same, there would be no identity.

And he expressed hope that Americans will give the world NEW HOPE ON NOVEMBER 4. That the dream for the world could come true. The world is watching as we cast our ballots.

And he ended with the words of Red Cloud:

We are poor because we are honest. Raise our children to be honest. There is not money in the afterlife. We want only peace and love.

Keynote Speakers

Some highlights:

Paolo De Croce, Secretary General of the Terra Madre Foundation

Terra Madre is an opportunity for the exchange of our global knowledge of food. Started with Carlo Petrinni, the President of Slow Food and his question: What would happen if the peasants of the world came together?

Came together to support what farmers have always known, that we must support balance, biodiversity and sustainable practices. We must work for small-scale, local enonomies, social welfare and social justice. We must vocally oppose intensive, monoculture in agriculture, the abandonment of traditional cultural knowledge and the standardizing of tastes. We are the ambassadors, and we must speak up.

What about farmers and fishing communities from one country inviting farmers from other countries to come to our farms and exchange knowledge?

And we must support school gardens! To date, there are 185 in the world (Go Lincoln!!)

And he reminded us that we are not alone in the struggle against the standardization of our food and our desire to create a biologically diverse world!!

Sergio Chiamparino, Mayor of Torino
We are rediscovering our ancetral bond with the earth. We are all farmers. We all come from the Earth.

He reminded us that people must have freedom and economies based on real goods, not fictional numbers.

He made a commitment to bring local foods to the school children of Torino. (So, is it time already for Mount Vernon????)

Mercedes Bresso, President of the Piedmont Regional Authority
Proud that Piedmont (a region in Italy) is GMO free.

Discussed the Europeans nations voting to be GMO free. Encouraged the rest of the world to catch up.

Talked about the fact that farmers know how to use the energy of the sun, have been doing it since the first farmer planted a seed.

Alice Waters, Vice-President of Slow Food
Talked about how Gavin Newsom, the Mayor of San Francisco, planted one acre in front of City Hall in fruit and vegetables and how the food goes into local food banks.

Prince Charles, His Royal Highness, Prince of Wales
He talked of his support for Terra Madre and the need for organizations such as ours to address the issues of global climate change and the creation of sustainable food.

Luca Zaia, Minister of Agriculutre, Food and Forestry

He discussed the impact of transporting food and energy consumption.

He pushed Farmer's Markets and any systems we can support where people can meet the farmers.

Carlos Lopez, Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations

We must find long-term solutions to the worldàs food crises.

We need small-scale farming, access to markets.

We must find ways of attracting young people to farming.

Vandana Shiva, Vice-President
(Wow, don't know how else to comment of this brilliant woman. But wow.)

There are three crises in the world today.

1. The financial crisis. The fiction of today's finances based not on real, actual goods. The truth of Ghandi's statement: We have enough for everyoneàs needs, but not for some people's greed. We must get out of the economy of debt into the economy of rejuvenation.
2. The food crisis. We can do better than allowing Mansanto and Cargill to destroy and control the world's food supply. We can give fair prices to all. We must switch from the idea of everything as a commodity. No, every seed, every human is NOT a commodity, but has intrinsic value, separate from corporate greed.
3. The climate change crisis. We must oppose Cargill and their pushing of chemical fertilizers. 35% of climate change due to the use of chemical fertilizers creating dead soil, dead zones in our oceans and dead air. We can do better than this. GMO's are a big lie. She discussed how she was raised a scientist and is addicted to the truth. That Mansanto's lies are a big piracy, a vile piracy. And she praised Europe for its stand of being GMO free.

Tewolde Berhan Gebe Egziabhu, Environmental Protection Agency, Ethiopa

He welcomed us as "The children of mothers". He said "I come from Africa. All of you also come from Africa. I bring you a message from your original mother, Africa."

He talked about while there is great hunger in Africa there is also great change. He talked about the devastation of years and years of colonization and the destruction of Africa leaving it the least populated continent on the Earth.

He believes that with a few seasons, Africa can recover.

He discussed the issue of biofuel, which is taking over agriculture throughout Africa. Why do we need biofuel? To power our system of agriculture. Why do we need agriculture? To create biofuel. Even an idiot can see this vicious circle is not sustainable.

He ended with: I wish you all a good afternoon and I wish the biospere perpetual health.

(anybody, still reading??? I hope so . . . )

Humberto Oliveira, Secretary of one of the Territories in Brazil

Long Live Terra Madre! Long Live the People of the Earth!

He talked about the fact that in 2007 the urban population of the earth exceeded that of the rural for the first time in human history. He talked about the consequences of the urbanization of the earth and the concentration of political power and the impact on the rural world.

We want another life or the future. We want to opposite of industrialization, dumping chemicals onto the land and the continuation of poverty. No. We want future generations to have sustainable energy, healthy food.

Sam Levin, High School Freshman, a public school in Massachusetts

He started "Project Sprout", a student-run organic school garden that brings food into the schools. He said that before kids grew their own salads the kitchen received 4 to 6 orders each day for salad. On the first day of Project Sprout's food entering the cafeteria, they ordered 70 salads. And the numbers continue to grow.

"I am here to let you know this: We got it. My generation is going to be the generation that reunites humans with the earth."

And here the nations of Slow Food, 7, 142 farmers, University professors, chefs, students and one teacher from Lincoln Elementary, stood up and applauded.

Terra Madre Opening Ceremonies

6000 farmers, educators, chefs, youth and musicians from 153 countries sitting in Torino. Palpable hope fills the room as drums from each of the four directions begins. Dancers from Mamojado, a place I've never heard of, come out in masks, feathers and maybe 50 cowbell-like bells attached to their back enter.

Then the flag procession. The ultimate equalizer of nations. One nation, one flag. Alphabetically. Iraq marching in right next to Iran. The delegation of Mali sitting near me. They stand as their flag passes by. Huge applause for Mexico. Separate flags for the United Peoples of America and the United States of America. And finally, Zimbabwe.

The Nations of Terra Madre.

The third gathering of food communities begins.

Images of Torino (from Google)

Terra Madre in Torino, Italy

We're preparing for Terra Madre. And just what is Terra Madre, you ask??
Terra Madre is an international network of over 7,000 food producers, cooks, and university educators from 150 countries, including over 800 delegates from the U.S. united by a common goal of global sustainability in food. Across cultures and climates, the "food communities" of Terra Madre come together to share innovative solutions and time-honored traditions for keeping small-scale agriculture and sustainable food production alive and well. The next edition of Terra Madre will be October 23-27, 2008.
'Terra Madre is...a moment in which everyone is on equal terms, a moment of coalition among diverse realms. Not just in the realm of knowledge, but also the realm of communities, which have to learn to govern themselves to be sovereign. ' - Carlo Petrini




Tonight was the Slow Food Skagit Convivium's (I know, I know, but I do so like the Latin) fundraiser at Adrift in Anacortes. Attended by over 50 people, it was a rousing success. Excellent food, excellent wine and wonderful conversations. Lots more to come!