And So We Eat

There's one inescapable fact of study trips:  we will eat too much.  Every morning, like the addicts we are, we nibble on yogurt and fruit, sip our cappuccinos and promise ourselves ferverently that today, we will eat less.

It never works.

Even as stage experts, knowing full well the gastro-intestinal discomfort inherent in imbibing copious amounts of wine, protein and carbohydrates, we still insist this is a once in a lifetime meal and must be consumed. 

So, general pre & post stage behaviour is exhibited in the form of detox: no alcohol, plenty of vegetables, fruit, white rice and broth, and then more vegetables.  But we're not driven to these drastic measures solely by six days straight of cured meats, or bottles of Lambrusco at every meal.  It's more the six hours daily spent sedentary at the table; continuous courses served as we ruefully expand in our stage stretch pants.  Refusing courses might gain you a brief respite from the onslaught, but can often be offensive to our hosts who have proudly crafted meals highlighting their region and culinary traditions. 

And so, we eat.  We pour another glass of wine to coat the stomach, brace ourselves, and anticipate the inevitable nap once back on the bus.

Emilia-Romagna was an interesting Italian stage finale in the sense that the products we were served are ones most widely known worldwide: it was the first study trip without exciting new dishes to discover.  It's not that the meals weren't enjoyable; it's just that our jaded palates have already been exposed to the foods consumed.  But please, don't pity us.  We certainly didn't suffer - and we deserve every minute of stomach pains we experienced.

You REALLY don't want to know what we were talking about...