Venice > San Daniele > Venice

KARL IN NUMB3R5

Prosciutto consumed : 2kgs
Scoops of gelato consumed : 8 (I was holding back)
Tablets popped (reflux, knee and Bell's palsy all played up this trip: 35) 
Glasses of water needed per grissini and prosciutto: 1
Number of changes of clothes per day: 2.652 (humidity was incredibly horrible)
Litres sweated: 59 ltrs a day
Bridges crossed in Venice: 1037
Prosciutto Tours: 2
Number of Australian-Philes (people who gushed when I pulled out the "io sono Austaralie" : 30
Number of flight delays: 3
Number of times I thought "Wow this is a dream come true": 1,327,882
Selfy stick photos taken: 5

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San Daniele 

The thing I love about trips away is the expected and unexpected. Invoking the memory of Contiki 2013,  nobody wants to hear about how everything went to plan, people want juicy details.  Not 1 but 2 flights were delayed on my way home so like an insect to one of those zapper lamps I wrote this tethered to a powerpoint... whilst sitting in a massage chair ..... using the non functioning components to rub out my knots in my back. Accentuate the positives he says to himself.


My trip was of course Aria Di Festa or the San Daniele prosciutto festival. This was a trip I'd planned for a while as San Daniele is also the hometown of my late grandfather and this event was one I'd heard about many times before. It's a funny feeling to travel abroad with this sense of responsibility and feeling like you're a part of something bigger.  I recall these lyrics from one of my favourite artists, Neil Finn, and a song he wrote about family  

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The Prosciutto:

To set the scene, this was an incredibly run food festival, somewhat perfected with years of experience.  The event was opened by a local celebrity who was in charge of opening the event with the slicing of the prosciutto leg. Seemingly distracted from her important responsibilities she stopped mid cut to Snapchat the event. That's dedication. 

'These are a few of my favourite things'
Missing: Wine

The town was almost exactly how I imagined it in my head- table lined streets, drenched in sun (and humidity) with people ho-ing into prosciutto, grissini, rockmelon and wine. Each night would be filled with music and celebration including a performance by the Italian Cat Stevens.  There was some great artisanal produce for sale including stuffed olives, cheeses from Sardenia (actually from way down south) cakes and biscuits galore! Spectacular!

Prosciutto inspector for the day. This trip was also dream come true time as I learnt not once but twice the prosciutto making process with 1 on 1 guided tours of local factories. This couldn't have been more dream-come-true material. I was on cloud 9! 

From my bedroom 

Looking down the main street

The street where Nonno grew up 

The street where Nonno grew up

The spectacular view of San Daniele

Just like a prayer: Inside the Madonna church. 

The magnificent spread of food put on my Tilly and Liz. Much love!

The Prosciutto making process from start to end. 

Weight of prosciutto leg fresh: 15kg

Number of days taken to salt a prosciutto leg: 1 day per kilo

Number of days taken to salt a prosciutto: 15 days (1 day per kilo) 

Total weight of prosciutto after the entire process are done: 5kg

If it doesn't have this mark, it isn't San Daniele Prosciutto! Don't buy it! 

My Nonno's sister, and Great Aunty. 

Venice

Ahhh yes. The romantic city. It wasn't actually even meant to happen, it is only by chance that I realised I had extra time before my connections and that I could make the most of my time in the area both at the start and at the end of the trip. For anyone who hasn't been to Venice before, though a complete tourist trap, it had an indescribable charm where the old buildings stand with scores of tourists with self sticks in the foreground (#me). My dodgy knee did dictate the amount of time I could spend here but I did reminisce about NYE 2014 drinking Prosecco and watching delayed fireworks. Magic.

Ahhh young love, both on their phone:/

For more photos of my Venice and San Daniele adventure, click here 


Thanks for checking back, stay tuned for more updates, as the next trip is around the corner - Greece and Malta.