Jamie's American Roadtrip...

I am looking forward to Jamie Oliver's new book and six-part series, Jamie's American Roadtrip, to be shown on Channel 4 this autumn. The series promises to be more than a straightforward cooking and travel series – as Jamie delves deep into the social issues and diverse cultures of 21st Century America.



A quote from The Times...
'There’s a poignant sense of the link between food and community, between what we eat and who we are. In New York, he ducks past the hot dogs to meet the city’s more recent immigrants: Peruvians making ceviche in illicit backstreet cafes; Egyptians making new versions of traditional flatbreads. In the Deep South, he meets the custodians of soul food. “I used to think soul food was like ‘Funkay!’,” he says, clicking his fingers. “‘It’s got pizzazz, it’s got flay-veur.’ But its heart is so sad'.



Starts 1st September on Channel 4.

Wildfires in Greece

The fires near the Greek capital of Athens are still out of control and strong winds are making the flames hard to contain. Although the wind dropped a little on Sunday night, officials warn the flames are still spreading.





The fires which are not unusual this time of year in Greece, have already destroyed many homes and buildings just north of the city. Helicopters and planes have been used to drop water onto the fires, and countries including France, Italy and Cyprus have stepped in to help. More here.

Mankind is no island...

I just came across this film which won at the Tropfest New York film festival in 2008. It was created by Jason van Genderen and shot entirely on a mobile phone with a small budget. Images come from Sydney and New York city. It's an emotional visual poem which builds empathy for neglected street people. I think it is simple but very effective. Perhaps we could have a go at making some short films like this!

Funny Talking Animals!

Episode 1 tomorrow on BBC1 at 17:50!

Sicily and Mount Etna!

I have not long returned from a week in Sicily and visited various places (Palermo, Catania, Taormina, Acireale), but was really excited about the expedition to the most prominent landmark: Mount Etna! The volcano is Europe's largest active volcano, at approximately 3,330 metres, it towers over the Ionian coastline.



Mount Etna is a stratovolcano made up of four summit craters and is surrounded by 200 major and secondary cones. At the base of Mount Etna we saw typical Sicilian vineyards and orchards on terraced slopes. Our bus stopped outside the village of Zafferana Etnea to enable our group to dismount. We then set off on foot and we reached Bove Valley, a depression on the eastern side of Etna (a caldera formed after a cone collapsed several thousand years ago). It was epic! Below is a bit of footage from my Flip cam!





View my photos on Flickr.

Here are some interesting blogs that give you a good insight into current affairs and life in Sicily:
-Sicilian Culture- Covers many issues.
-Sicilian Odyssey- US Navy-based teacher's experience of Sicilian life.
-Libera Palermo- A blog in Italian, but you can get a feel for the daily struggles of the anti-Mafia movement.
-Ragusa and Sicily Guide- has good stuff on Ragusa and Sicily in general.
-Sicily Guide- Current affairs and debate.