Food in History Conference in London

I am just back after a short stop in London. As I wrote some posts ago, I was going to the Food in History Conference organized at the University of London by the Anglo-American Conference of Historians. It was three really interesting days during which I attended sessions on diverse topics such as food and archeology, food in the Bible, food trends in modern history, the history of the ginger bread, the poor man’s food, and the invention of the fridge and of the modern cold chain. As last time I was in London, I stayed with lovely E and J, and although the conference absorbed most of the days, I did have time for lunch and a tour of the Kensington Palace my first day, and then a quick stop by Fortnum & Mason on Friday. I had never been to the latter but wanted to see it after I had heard their archivist talking about the history of the store in a conference session. Although touristy today, some of these department stores (and indeed convenience stores) really changed the supply chains, global trade, and the way we consume. And it was of course lovely to spend four days with E and J and their kids, so in short, I had four terrific days in the UK capital!

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IMG_3929From the top: Kensington Palace and the chairs for each of Queen Anne’s 18 children who died before birth or within the first years. The exception was Prince William who lived until he was 11. The Hammersmith bridge and Fortnum & Mason’s wonderful tea and coffee department. And finally, the Food in History Conference at University of London.  

Summer Plans

I have been planning my summer today. Or the summer is of course here already, but I will not be off until July. I was on skype with Miss T we finally decided to spend almost a week in the South of Europe. I also plan to have a week or so in Stockholm, to just be in my little apartment, enjoy Summer Stockholm, and spend time with my close ones. And then, this evening, I registered for a three-day conference on Food in history in London. The program includes topics from food culture to food trade, from stories in the Bible to the evolvement of fast food. I am so excited! Miss  T sighed and said that she wished that she was equally excited about her job, but I barely see it as a job. I am simply working with my main interest. I realize that I am very fortunate!

After my stay in Europe, Jonas and I will go on a long-planned road trip through the South. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid and read about Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, and later about the American Civil War, and after last year’s road trip through the National Parks in the West (see August 2012 in the blog archive), Jonas and I decided that this summer, we would explore the South. But first, I am off to Montenegro for work next week. And June in Podgorica is lovely, with all the restaurant terraces filled with people enjoying the warm evenings in each other’s company. and with wonderful seafood freshly fished from the rivers and the Adriatic Sea. So though I have a very busy 1.5 weeks, with a conference over the weekend, I really look forward to the trip.

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Late summer evening in Stockholm last year