Love and Barley – A blog of food, drink, travel, and lore
I just returned from a six-day trip to Italy. I was at the Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI) in L’Aquila where I participated in a workshop for PhD students and early career researchers in the fields of Economic Geography and Regional Science. This was my fourth visit to L’Aquila since 2017. Located a two-hour bus-ride east of Rome, L’Aquila is a city of just under 72,000 people. It made international news in 2009 when it was hit with a 6.3 magnitude earthquake , whose epicenter was just outside the city;
In addition to the workshop, I was also invited to participate in a local food and beer festival in Lecce nei Marsi. Located just over an hour drive southeast of L’Aquila, Lecce ne Marsi is a small community of just over 1,600 people. Lecce ne Marsi is located in what the Italian Government has designated as an Inner Area. Inner Areas are parts of Italy that, because of their geographic isolation, have limited access to essential public services such as health care, education, and transportation. They are a
In an effort to promote its cultural assets, as well as those of twelve surrounding communities, Lecce nei Marsi decided to organize and host a festival promoting local food and local beer. Prior to its start, the Mayor of Lecce nei Marsi, Augusto Barile, held a short two-hour mini conference titled “Typical Products: The Strength of the Internal Area”. As the festival coincided with my visit to L’Aquila, Mayor Barile invited me to give a short presentation on craft beer. The mayor’s interest in craft beer
Love and Barley – A blog of food, drink, travel, and lore