68: A Happy Hungry Maaaaan

Over the first lockdown I spent weeks dreaming of being somewhere else. By the sea, in the mountains, walking through forests, dining at restaurants I'd read about. Then the lockdown ended and I still wanted to travel, but other restrictions stopped me -- lack of money, lack of energy, fear of contracting Covid-19 from some unfamiliar bathroom tap.Well, I've had the virus now, so as soon as it's legal to do so, I could technically go on a trip without getting sick. But while I've been planning dream trips, I've been wondering. What is it about travelling I actually like? What do I want it to do for me? I'm not a Phil or a Bourdain; I don't demand "authenticity" from locals or invite myself round to people's homes. I'm a bit of a basic traveller. I love trying local beer, wine and food, but I'm equally happy with a lager under a Peroni parasol. I generally eat and drink and look and take pictures and talk and don't check my emails. Why can't I do that closer to home? Why is it that all of those things feel more, feel better, when I've skipped overseas to do them?I was really interested in a Vittles piece this week by Joanna Fuertes called "The Bourdainification of Food Travel". In it she poses that as travellers, we are not brave adventurers but tourists. The antagonists, not the stars. In pursuit of authenticity, we can lose sight of our dream destinations as living, evolving cities, where diverse cultures live side by side. In the piece, Joanna says:

"I’ve begun to regard this phenomenon as us being unwitting food conquistadors. Green curry and a temple in Thailand, tagine and a riyad in Morocco: you post them on Instagram, you return home. Maybe you try and replicate what you ate for friends and you feel like a well-rounded person. [Kevin] Vaughn adds that:"

Holidays aren't holidays anymore. It's easy to stay in residential neighbourhoods and pretend for a few days that we belong there. I wonder if a big part of travelling for many of us isn't really about experiencing "authentic local culture" but living for a short time in a life where we have disposable income, free time, and the sun shines. Perhaps it's about dressing up in our new holiday outfits as much as it's about the education. Perhaps it's a lot about playing at belonging.Other Stuff

• Caleb Femi's poetry book Poor is out now. Read this interview with him to learn why I think he's one of our most important writers in the UK at this moment in time.

• A photo essay on London's famous Ridley Road.

• Sorry but Machinedrum and Sub Focus have collaborated on a new tune and if you thought I wouldn't mention it in my newsletter, you're very mistaken. Absolute roller, as 2010 me would have said.

• Back on a "what is travel/what should travel be" hype, Kevin Vaughan asks "What Should The Future Of Travel Media Be?" I was especially struck by the words "narrative control" in the caption of a still from the film "Playtime" and will be thinking about it for a long time.

• Boak & Bailey have set a blogging challenge for November, why not join in? And in the mean time, WYBUADIWTY?

• A lovely bit of architectural history (or social history? Maybe both) featuring glazed tiles scattered around buildings in Manchester's Northern Quarter.

• I'm well aware that this newsletter isn't really going out to a Top Gear/petrolhead demographic but this interview with Chris Harris was really interesting. In it he talks about mental health and the daily abuse he recieves on social media (and describes Top Gear as "a show about cars that generates hate"), having the knowledge and experience to have self-confidence in your subject but still suffering with imposter syndrome because of the million other things a person has to be in this day and age, and journalistic integrity v influencing that I bet a lot of us can relate to.

• Essential reading: Rachel Hendry's wine pairings for a pandemic

• Restrictions and tiering from behind the bar. Rowan Molyneux writes about publife from her position as a busy bar manager and I really enjoy reading her insights, especially during a time when we all have no idea what on earth is going on with our hospitality industry.

• Gorge writing by Valerie Kathawala on Jutta Ambrositch's wines in Vienna, a city we really should know more about than it's recent tragedy.

• A beautiful blustery walk in Cornwall followed by pints. Thank you for this moment of escapism, Lily Waite.

My Stuff

• I've written about my experiences doing the WSET L2 because I get asked quite often if it was worth it. I really enjoyed it, but I love learning in classrooms.

• Lol, I wrote about how to survive in cold beer gardens over winter, totally unprepared for the fact that we would be in lockdown by then. Anyway, here you go, enjoy some silliness. Also: MORE HOT TODDIES PLEASE

• If you liked this newsletter and you feel like buying me a hot alcoholic beverage now I'm off the Lemsips, thanks very much! The easiest way is either through www.ko-fi.com/shinybiscuit or via paypal.me/hyggoth

Sunrise in London by Adam Samson