London, Food Blogger Connect 2010
It was the 26th of November, dark and gloomy, outside was raining and my blog was still quiet young, I was a beginner foodblogger and the foodie world was yet unknown: by chance I stumbled upon this post, I was totally impressed by the event and the organization, but unfortunately it was too close to the event to reach London… I bookmarked the website and started looking at it, once in a while (maye a bit more often, I admit!) waiting for the big news: the new edition. And finally, the dates! Don’t think twice, Juls, book the ticket and go! 6 months later, I was one of them, I was at the Food Blogger Connect event!
I would like to able to express with my own words what I feel, but it’s really hard, believe me! No, it’s not the language, it’s not because I’m writing in English! I have inside a volcano of emotions, memories, smiling faces, sweets and drinks – oh yeah, I had drinks! – talks, friends and projects. Besides that, I took far less photos than I expected, too busy talking, exchanging cards and smiles, drinking and eating. So I decided to go random, picking up emotions and memories from my heart as well as projects and snapshots of an unmatched weekend.
Everything has had a sweet and honey coloured beginning: the morning light, sleepy faces but pumping hearts ready to face the day, this was Breakfast at Sari’s, with a delicious cherry muffin, a cup of steaming tea and a truly generous hospitality. Sharing the apartment with Sari, Pam and Tiina has given a hearty touch to the weekend, colouring these days with friendship: choosing what to wear for the day, late night talks and gossips, mind blowing brainstorming and cider (chocolate for me, please!).
Sari and Pam
Tiina, Sari and Pam
And here we are, all together, thanks to Mowie who took this picture (I reckon, I was quite excited, Mowie taking a picture of me! Com’ on, admit it, wouldn’t you be excited? It is Mowie, haven’t you seen his pics?). Everyone with a different walk of life, everyone with her own voice and approach to the blog.
And here we come to one of the most important – at leat for me – moments of the event: the speech of Jamie from Life’s A Feast, Jeanne from Cook Sister and Kerrin from MyKugelhopf about writing style and voice: what did I learn? Be appropriate, avoid mistakes, find your own voice, understand who you blog for and which is the process you enjoy the most in between cooking, writing and socializing. After their words and examples, I started thinking and reached a conclusion… well! don’t be too hasty, soon you’ll see the results!
Saturday afternoon was dedicated to the photographic aspect of the food blog universe: Hilda from Saffron And Blueberry has dissected a camera to explain its basical functions, while Meeta from What’s For Lunch Honey? e Mowie from Mowielicious delighted the audience with their amazing and crystal clear pictures to give some hints for Food styling.
On Sunday Kerrin was the protagonist together with Julia from A slice of Cherry Pie of another deeply inspiring speech: How to get published and get feature work. You could tell from everyone’s sparkling eyes that the matter was really interesting, and our speakers were so easy going, fun and generous of advices that at the end I was so overexcited that I couldn’t help to say a confused and still emotioned thank to a way too kind Kerrin.. into the Ladies Room!
After this interesting approach to the foodblog world, another mind blowing speech: Niall Harbison captured the audience with his fun and witty interpretation of social media: even though he was in Dublin instead of in our venue because of RyanAir, he managed to cast a spell over everyone, giving a step by step approach to follow to act properly into the social media universe.
Here Aoife from The daily spud, Beth from Dirty kitchen secrets and Mowie from Mowielicious. I take the chance now to thank Bethany for the organization of the Food Blogger Connect and for gathering such a beautiful group of people!
Have I ever mentioned that I don’t drink alcohol? Well, I was truly astonished when I discovered that this delicious, refreshing, sweet and fresh drink, known as Pimm’s cocktail, containes alcohol! You must forgive me, but as Italian, I really didn’t known even the exsistence of Pimm’s! Now I have discoverd a new love!
A bit of Italy! I wasn’t the only Italian at the FBC10! Manuel and Jasmine from Labna.it shared with me such an impressive experience: it was nice – and relieving once in a while! – to talk with each others in Italian and see questioning faces around us, or, even better, it was really strange start speaking in English with other people and keep on in English in between us, without any reason!
Again, Beth from Dirty kitchen secrets tasting some of the gorgeous chocolates brought by Julia, blogger at Always leave room for dessert. I will always have room for one of her strawberry chocolates, not to mention the spiced ones!
After twitting, twitting, twitting, I finally had the chance to meet Sarah from Maison Cupcake.
Sweet Anne from Anne’s Kitchen, Sari and smiling Katharine from A girl in Madrid.
A final picture of almost all of us, thanks to Mowie.
After such an amazing weekend, can you belive me if I tell you that I feel like this rasberry, left alone into the dish? I’ve been so happy to take part to this grand event, so proud to get to know some of the best foodbloggers in the world that I read everyday and that are a daily source of inspiration. Now I must learn to manage all this emotions bubbling into my heart, to direct everything into a creative effort. In this moment, a smile is lingering into my face: I’m happy as everyone who has just discovered his goal. I’ve decided to give credit to Niall’s advice and believe in my dreams: follow your passion!
Now, let’s start counting down the days for next year event: an year flows when you have such amazing new friends! Waiting to meet you all, in London, here in Tuscany or wherever our route will bring us, a list with all the attendees: if I forgot someone, or misspelled a name or blog, please let me know!
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Fantastico Juls! Magari un giorno vengo an’chio! Baci!
Oh that just brings the whole weekend back for me! Like you, I took *way* less photographs that I expected, I was too busy absorbing the event. It was lovely to meet you – even if we only got to chat briefly. We will have more time to chat next time ’round I hope 🙂
Hi Juls, it was so lovely to meet you at last! You mustn’t feel like that lonely raspberry, you’ll see how easy it is to keep in touch on Twitter and blogs.
You have some gorgeous photos here and I reckon you sound far more poetic in your second language than I do in my first. Stay in touch!
È esattamente lo spirito che mi piacerebbe ricreare qui… ai tempi del FBC precedente anch’io mi ero linkato la pagina e ne avevo parlato con altri, vediamo se per uno dei prossimi eventi fieristici (DeGustibooks, Taste, Salone dle Gusto, ecc.) riusciamo a far qualcosa 🙂
I still think about it, and read about it, with a gigantic smile!! 🙂
We’ve had a wonderful time!!! 🙂
By the way, did I mention already how much I love the pic you took of the two of us, Manuel and I? It’s so cute!!
Take care baby, talk to you soon 😉
Reading this has cheered me up so much. I still don’t have any hot water in my house and there isn’t a plumber to be found, so retreating to last weekend is a lovely escape.
Great to meet you and see you next year!
Such wonderful pictures Juls!! I’m so thrilled you were able to make it and that you enjoyed it so much! You are really a very bubbly and wonderful person and I so enjoyed meeting you. I hope to keep in touch and if I don’t get to see you before next year..then till 2011. big kiss xox
Oh Juls, this is such a wonderful post! Love the way you told the story and pointed out the great inspiration that was shared last weekend. I’m so glad we had a chance to get to know each other and stay together at Sarka’s place. So many fun memories! Miss you!!
I have just seen that Mowie has announced next year’s dates – I’ll be trying to go, and I don’t care there’s an ocean in my way! 🙂
Your girls are lovely!
Hi Giulia!
So great to meet you! 🙂 I wanted to thank you very much for the salt “cocktail” you gave me, it is delicious!! I just made some croutons the other day for the soup i am about to post, and they turned out absolutely delicious! Have you posted the recipe for it on your blog? If so can you show me where, so I can direct people to this fantastic savoury seasoning discovery?
Many hugs!
Reading this I REALLY wish I’d been able to attend the whole event. Sigh… But I’ve already put the dates of next year’s event in my calendar and if we happen to have work for that weekend then the man can do it!
Juls! It was so nice to finally meet you over the weekend! You seriously are the sweetest person. And thanks so much for the Tuscany in a jar – so cute and such a great idea. I’ll email you soon x
WOW! What an incredible event to connect with all your foodie friends around the world! It looks like everything about your day was perfect, and you also learned so much about blogging, photography, and so much much more. 🙂 I wish I could have experienced this myself, but seeing it through your eyes was inspirational! I will definitely be doing exactly what you did: keeping my eyes peeled for the event next year!!! Thanks SO much for sharing.
How amazing… there’s nothing like immersing yourself in a world surrounded by people who love doing the same things you do! 🙂 Great post!
what a lovely post juls! lovely pictures and the essence of the FBC captured gorgeously! loved the Tuscany in a jar and can’t wait to use it on a roast this weekend! You are the most adorable person.
@ Paula: magari! ma prima vedi di venire a trovarmi qui in Italia! 😛
@ Daily Spud: absolutely we will have more time to talk next time, in London, or here in Tuscany or.. in Ireland! I’d love to visit Ireland again!
@ Sarah: ah! ah! ah! far more poetic?! I do love English! the sound is tantalizing for me, I could listent to a native speaking English for hours! Yo’re totally right, we will keep in contact for sure!
@ Jasmine: I can’t help it! As you, I browse through photos, memories and blogs trying not to forget this refreshing sensation given by the FBC!
@ Charlie: poor thing!! so dive into these pictures and all the great memories you have, and let’s hope together for a plumber!!
@ Bethany: you, wander woman! I’m so happy you had the idea to organize a Food Blogger Connect, and mostly to organize a second edition, and “more mostly” to project the third edition! The decision to give life to a food blog truly changed my life, but the decision to take parto to FBC10 gave a boost to it that I still have to understand!
@ Tiina: honey, this evening I was spinning around like a crazy person testing my camera thanks to your eye-opening tip! Miss you too!
@ Patricia: which is the raison d’être of an Ocean but to be crossed? 😉 Looking orward next year!
@ Matinaki: what a pleasure to have met you!! I haven’t posted the recipe by now, but you gave me a very good idea, I’ll be posting it for sure next week! For the moment, this is the blog link I was talking about: http://www.exeigousto.net
I’m really looking forward your recipe, it will be fun to see how many different recipes are born from my ‘cocktail’! Many hugs!
@ Michele: next year is every day closer! Waiting for that moment, we can keep in contact through our blog and get to know better, exchanging tips and laughs!
@ Mowie: thank you Mowie! really thank you and grazie! 😉 It was really nice and amazing get to finally know you! x
@ The Cilantropist: inspirational – that’s the word! 😀
@ The Housewife: this was one of the reasons that made this weekenf magical!
@ Meeta: oohhh! you make me blush! I’ll be thinking at you this weekend. Knowing that my *very* little jar is in your kitchen and will be one of the seasoning of your roast makes me smile! With a little bit of imagination it will be like having the chance to cook with you! Hugs x
Truly wonderful post, I will be coming back to check out all of your friends blogs too:)
Wow… What an amazing time, and so many great blogs. I will have to check them all out!
Hi Juls – Meeting you in person was fantastic – but I knew it would be because when we first met over twitter you were so friendly and helpful. Amazed by your blog – and in both Italian and English! Lovely pictures – I wish I had taken more. Hopefully we will meet again before the next FBC.
@ Magico of Spice:Great! Thank you!
@ Jen: It was an absolute blast!
@ Gastroanthropologist: I do hope so! Meeting at FBC was just the first step to get to know each other better!
Juls! What a lovely, lovely post! Breakfast at Sari’s looks like straight out of a Donna Hay cookbook – just stunning! (And I need to find out where she got that table from, I love it)! It was a real pleasure meeting you, you are a truly lovely person! I can’t wait to use your Tuscany in a jar! Hope to see you again soon, and let’s stay in touch in the blogosphere!
x Anne
Great pictures, great post. Looks like a wonderful time.