We had a bird-filled weekend recently.
Saturday
A nice bird lady brought both an owl and a hawk to a child's birthday party. Young One bravely volunteered to allow the owl to perch on her arm. She taught us all about their habits and hunting techniques and even invited us to accompany her on a "Hawk Walk" in the future, a walk through the local woods as the hawk flies above and follows our path.
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Sunday
A kind neighbor invited us to a bird lunch at his home. Here we learned all about the techniques and methods for hunting and cooking little birds, a very common practice in Veneto. (This was Richard's second bird encounter this season. The first was with the fathers in Young One's class.) These 82 song birds being roasted in the image are actually from near Rome. Freshly hunted. I sat across from the middle-aged hunter in his grey cashmere sweater, a small business owner in the city of Vicenza.
And that's all I have to say about that.
polenta e osei! There was a chilling article about bird hunting in Italy in the New Yorker (I believe, as it's the only magazine I read) some years back.
ReplyDeleteI might have been able to eat that until I saw the head.
ReplyDeletebirds part 1: WOW, how cool! Love birds...flying the air, sitting in a tree.
ReplyDeletebirds part 2: WOW, don't think I could have done that...see part one.
Young One is so brave! Those birds are massive!
ReplyDeleteYour dinner makes me think of Birds' Nest Soup, which is totally foreign to me, but it's considered one of the finest delicacies in Asia. You've got to love all these Adventures in Eating! :)
i would love a hawk guided walk...how wonderful. what a lucky young one
ReplyDeleteno chance. don't think i could even be in the same room with those roasted birds. Do they pick the meat out to eat or just eat the whole thing? shudder.
ReplyDelete