In the heart of the old Italian city of Greve in Chianti, south of Florence, there is a Franciscan monastery and a triangular main piazza or meeting place where a market has been serving the nearby communities and hamlets for centuries.
Oh, the romance of it all in Tuscany, where the lovers of fine cibo and a glass of vino – as they say in Italiano – can be consumed while dreaming into the night. Special indeed, and believe it, there is so much in common with our Goolwa.
It was in October, 1999, following a meeting with the mayor of Greve in Chianti that the Cittaslow movement (meaning slow town) was formed, and Australia is now one of 30 countries to join – starting with Goolwa in March, 2007 and followed by Katoomba (NSW) and Yea (Victoria). Each town must agree to commit to a set of 50 goals and principles or values.
Thanks to the incredible devotion to the movement by Lyn and John Clark, who worked so hard to earn their much-loved town this status, Goolwa will host the tenth Cittaslow International Assembly from May 9-12, 2017 with more than 120 delegates from around the world experiencing its culture, food, wine and music.
The journey to this international honour has perhaps been under-played because, for most part, there has been a general lack acceptance or understanding why Goolwa should be recognised as a “slow town”. Come to the balcony at the Signal Point Gallery on Friday night, October 28 from 5-8 and you will really understand what it’s about.
There will be people dancing to the sound of the Mac Tones, while others sit on deck chairs across the lawns listening while watching the boats from Australia’s oldest yacht club, the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club, sail past in their keenly contested twilight races. People will sip local wines from Shaw Family Vitners, and have a bite to eat from the local food trucks or perhaps wait for a beach cafe character named Olaf ride in on his Cockle Cart; it’s like a barbeque on a bike, and he sells buckets of Goolwa cockles in a delicious sauce with a chunk of bread.
Slow? Sure is, and judging by the 300-plus people at the last of these Night at the Wharf events last summer, we love them. Drink the vino slowly and savour the cockles they will, and let’s celebrate we’re a Cittaslow town.
There are temporarily three structures of our Cittaslow – a management committee and an International Assembly Planning committee, both consisting of up to eight people and largely driven by Lyn and John, and a food and wine group, in which Karen Ross plays a big part with her commitment to the At the Wharf events.
This may come as a shock, but the food and wine guys have about 30 members (and rising in numbers) who fit well in the category of social drinkers and foodies. They chat a lot too, according to Karen, and remarkably they achieve things during these lovely occasions. Ah, the spirit of Cittaslow.
Karen explains from her committee organises other community highlights like the annual Smoke Off on Sunday, November 6 (see next page), and community “How to…” sessions led by Debbie Smith with demonstrations and lessons on things like making cheese, foraging mushrooms, bottling tomatoes the Italian way, and making coffee. It’s entertaining and informative, and Karen believes this largely symbolises the Cittaslow movement that started in Italy 16 years ago is all about.
“The movement is about sustainability, good, clean enjoyable food which usually means that it comes from the region rather than genetically modified,” Karen said. “It is part of an education process and a celebration of that food; rather than genetically modified imported, out-of-season food which was forced grown and expensive. It is our option to open our eyes to what is available in our own region.
“They first started talking about slow meat and slow fish, which is very specific, and about 12 years ago the slow city or slow town movement started. Cittaslow is not only about celebrating and focusing on good clean food, but good clean living and communities getting together.
“Look at what we have got right here, a paddle steamer and steam trains going under this beautiful bridge… the history, the food; there is so much to celebrate in this region.
“The slow food concept started as a reaction to fast food like McDonald’s, but some people have got hung-up on that. A chap got really angry with me saying Cittaslow had a lot to answer for because we aren’t allowed to have a McDonald’s here and his kids couldn’t get a job in town.
“I think we have moved on from that… the beautiful Barossa Valley also has its fine wines and nice food and it doesn’t have a McDonald’s either and never will. This is our culture, and I think it is a beautiful concept.”
Karen said there was a strong ambition among the food and wine committee to make At the Wharf events from October-March even bigger, and personally she had learned much from similar events in Brisbane.
“They are doing this kind of thing everywhere in Brisbane… they have food trails, food and jazz events and they’re all gaining momentum,” she said. “They have a world food theme as in American ribs and burgers, Mexican tacos and whatever the food vans have.
“We have something special too with our Coorong mullet, Goolwa cockles… our Cittaslow platters including pate and dips made from using local ingredients, especially from the Cittaslow Community Garden, which is another special part of the movement.
“Hector’s on the Wharf are going to have an alfresco bar this summer for the At the Wharf nights. Steve at the Wharf Barrel Shed and Cafelicious are staying open… it’s exciting.
“A lot of the success of the events, concepts or whatever has to do with the people involved… they’re really interesting, creative and have their heart in Goolwa.
“Steve Grieve, a highly successful architect on numerous boards including the Adelaide
Fringe Festival and WOMAD, plus the Goolwa Wharf Precinct, has made a welcomed presence with his experience, creativity and fabulous ideas, and his wife, Christine Putland, is also so creative.
“I personally thought about getting involved in Cittaslow after living in the south of France where you cannot help but love the warm weather, the beautiful influence from the people of South Africa who brought their food, music and culture; their language, style of dress – everything.
“I was there living this culture and loving it, and thinking about my next stage being Goolwa, where I already a place, and how it was a Cittaslow. I thought how nice that was; how special.
“Our At the Wharf nights are not about making money; you have wine available there so we can raise enough to pay for the band. It’s about celebrating everything that Cittaslow stands for, and it’s gaining momentum. I feel proud that Goolwa is part of it.”
Enjoy, or as they say in Greve in Chianti, godere.
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