As a day at sea, most were able to pick up notes from our earlier busy days and put together all of the facts and finish the post cards to friends and relatives. So far it has been a very busy trip with activities every day and now it was time to even start to read the book they brought for the tour?
Of course this day was no exception to having a few activities and two lectures. One talk was by Robin Woodward about seafarers and trade routes in the ancient Mediterranean Sea. Later in the afternoon, Tom Heffernan gave a lecture about Monasticism and the influence on Europe.
What would a trip to the Mediterranean be without all of the good food you find in this area? Think about all of the ingredients that are produced in the area -- grapes for wine, olives for olive oil, capers (see the photo), pistachios and...
Most of these plants were domesticated early in human history and sometimes we do not even know the homeland. The olives originate from the eastern Mediterranean area, sometimes called the Levant. Nowadays the term Levant refers to the area with Lebanon, Syria and Israel.
Some would argue that Sicilian or Italian cooking is the best. Interestingly, most of the ingredients used have an origin far from the Mediterranean, and did not arrive in the area before 1492.
According to the story, Marco Polo brought the idea of pasta to Italy in the 15th century. A good question would be what was being used in the kitchens before Columbus discovered America? Most dishes today have tomatoes, bell peppers or potatoes. All of these originate from the New World! Several of the spices you so eagerly want while in the Mediterranean area did not arrive until the Europeans found America.
Our galley has really made this trip to a Mediterranean cooking trip. Every meal has something with local flavor. What a way to travel through this area!
