Arrivederci, Bolsena!

Thursday morning began our final day in Bolsena. There was a little bit of sadness in the air as we realized that our journey together was coming to an end. Nathan led the morning class by giving a lecture that tied together all of the concepts that we learned over the last couple weeks. He taught us how to channel our observations through qualitative analysis and how to use the knowledge we acquired to identify and create solutions in sustainable agriculture.



In the afternoon, Nathan took a few of us on a little fieldtrip to a local beer brewery. The owner of the brewery showed us everything, from the smoky malt used in the beer to the massive beer fermenters. His passion for his work was evident in his every thought. What originally began as only a hobby had become his life’s work. When asked what was missing in the business, he immediately responded: a lack of local producers of the ingredients needed for his beer. I saw a recurring theme from class about the continued necessity for locally grown products and the financial and scheduling burdens of transporting goods across countries.



Of course as at the end of every good tour, we got to sample the final product. The brewer shared with us his imperial stout, a recipe that he wrote only once and believed was perfect at conception. We tried some of the stout and had to agree – it was delicious!!



That night we convened at the table for one last meal together in Bolsena. Damiano really outdid himself, and the dinner’s theme was seafood. He made us a wide array of delicious Italian dishes with clams, mussels, and more. He even made fried shrimp and calamari for us New Orleanians!! We talked, we laughed, we sang and played music, we even heard a couple renditions of the Forever Bus Blues. It was the perfect ending to the weeks we shared together in Bolsena.