Dinner with the Italian South African Chamber of Trade and Industries

May 7, 2013

Promoting the breathtaking coastline of the picturesque Cinque Terre on Italy’s rugged East coast was reason enough for the Italian South African Chamber of Trade and Industries to hold a special dinner at the Il Tartufo restaurant in Hyde Park last night. And for me, this was just plain miraculous; mingling in a room full of influential Italian business people from tour operators to fashion trade analysts and marketing managers. A short presentation on TV screens around the room highlighted “The Five Lands” in the Liguria region made up of:

– Monterosso Al Mare with the only extensive sand beach in the area

– Vernazza, a fishing village with no car traffic

– Corniglia, a 100m high village surrounded on three sides by vineyards

– Manarola, the smallest and most colourful of the towns

– Riomaggiore with its Path of Love parallel to the coastline

After the formalities, we savoured dishes typical of the region; poached eggs with spinach and a white sauce, a delectable pesto pasta, risotto, fish and even an almond-flavoured dessert topped with rich chocolate sauce and a fluffy cloud of cream.

Here I am with Trade Analyst, Natasha Siniscalchi