There was one niggling little inconveniences of our recent travels, which actually is a pretty big deal, and that was WATER. Without our regular source of filtered water from home, we spent the first week relying on buying bottled water from wherever we could buy. We did try to be considerate and stick to the big 5L bottles until the tip of all travels tips arrived! Water in Rural Portugal is convenient to access from public fountains which are dotted around the countryside or in little villages. If it is non-potable, a sign will let you know. To ease
In the most generalised, sweeping statement of all time, I guess the notion of a holiday is to break from the norm and remove oneself from a situation you are possibly not so fulfilled in, an effort to escape the banal nature of life. When you remove yourself from your most comfortable place of existence in the burning quest for new adventures, it can feel a little compromising. Unless you decide to make this adventure ALL about what you love to do. And so, thanks to the nudging me the right direction bacteria once again, I put everything to sleep
The world doesn’t hang in the balance. It moves in circles, cycles and seasons and as the month completes once again, I am in full preparation mode for the arrival my monthly friend. I am acutely aware of my cycle. In fact I plan my life and diary around it and make sure that I give my body what it needs both nutritionally and physically. This means harnessing energy when it is available and resting when it is most needed. I know when it is a good time to make a decision and when I should shut up and sleep
There is a certain amount of trust and intuition that allows one to literally pack up and head to a country you know little about, except for the Algarve of course, with sheer curiosity. Perhaps it is more of perceiving it as something you have just yet to know. And so it is, this summer, The Cultured Club embarks upon an exciting trip to Portugal to meet wonderful people, discover wild landscapes, learn of new wild foods and finally be guaranteed some summer sun. Really, The bacteria make me do it! I am beyond excited to detail a very special
I frequently feel like I don't play this game of life like one is supposed to. I read the papers so infrequently simply because they cause a deep unease that I know little of the world, how it works and even less about how to change it. Politics, economics, business strategy, the property market, investments, style trends, current affairs, what's in, what's out....all of it hurts my tiny mind! This is not to say that I am introverted and without regard for the world I live in, it is more to suggest that it all seems to involve too much
“Our food system desperately demands subversion. The more we sterilize our food to eliminate all theoretical risk, the more we diminish its nutritional quality.” Sandor Katz Since the beginning of time, humans have been fermenting our food. Sauerkraut, chocolate, beer, cheese and it is because of this fermentation process these foods not only last longer BUT they are delicious. In recent years Sandor Katz has become to fermentation what Elvis was to popular music and if you are in any way tickled by the magic of the microbes then listening to the vast knowledge this man carries with him
There are moments and connections in life (if you are lucky) which actually turn everything you have ever known on its head and the enlightened truths of life are there for you to integrate into a new way of being. For me this was evident after meeting Mayella Almazan. In the full flow as the female of the species, my natural monthly cycle was something that just happened. In fact, an underplayed event which has culturally been depicted as a rollercoaster psychotic drama. We have all seen the references, we have all heard the jokes and we have all been very, very misunderstood.
My feet are itching to get out in to the world and explore new adventures again. Thankfully I have the cure for the common travel bug and this summer we are off on tour to explore the delights Portugal has to offer! There are many fermentation residencies planned starting with a trip to the woods in the mountain region of Benfieta, where we will preserve paradise. We will be managing the wild yeasts and bacteria of new environments creating wonderful treats in the sun. First up will the thirst quenching traditional lemonade. It is made using a source of live
In all honesty, if it weren't for eggs, I would be vegan. I am quite particular about my eggs. Having kept chickens (that's them below!) for many years whilst living the rural life, they are a great feature of daily life and now that the domestic situation does not lend itself to this currently, I like to choose my eggs wisely. This generally means they are more expensive and always organic. With that in mind, I like to make sure that I am getting the most out of my foods, this goes across the board and I will
I spend a lot of time talking about and tending to the microbes in my gut. At this stage the idea that gut bacteria affect a person’s health is not revolutionary as more and more people know that these microbes influence digestion, allergies, and metabolism. Thankfully the revival has become almost commonplace and I no longer feel so alone in my bacterial musings. Yes, we need to feed our gut with probiotics and wean ourselves off antibiotics viewing this inner terrain as a place of prevention and balance rather than a territory we can sweep clear of any invaders that cause harm. But of
