I've been away again, leading to a bit of downtime here at the blog. Very sorry about that - but I promise there will be a Daring Bakers challenge by the end of the week, as well as some other things I've eaten along the way.
It's been a busy few weeks - in the run-up to last week, I was nose-to-the-books trying to finish a paper, which I then presented at the International Institute for Applied Aesthetics summer conference in Lahti, Finland. The conference, on urban nature, was just the most inspiring thing; populated by so many doing similar work to me, it was exactly the place to go for a boost in morale. It helped me come around to my recent decision to move to Toronto to begin my PhD at York University in the autumn.
Anyhow, eating in Finland is always a bit tough for me. It's not exactly a cuisine built on vegetarian staples; meat and fish figure heavily, but there is a preponderance of rye amongst the breads, which works well for me. But these kinds of things are often less about the food than about the company.
During the conference dinner, I tucked into a simple plate of vegetable gratin and potatoes, but barely noticed it for the quality of conversation. I was eating with my absolute favourite living philosopher, Arnold Berleant, discussing the future of the field and the future of my research. It was the most incredible opportunity for me, and really solidified my feeling that this is exactly what I want to be doing with my life.
Later, I tucked into an old favourite - essentially a cinnamon bun and a plain old cup of coffee. I don't know why this is so comforting, but it's the best part of traveling in Finland. No Danish pastry, of course, but a nice bun, a warm drink, and fantastic company make it just as good.
More to come later in the week.
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