La dolce eat-aOur appetite for all things Italian is being sharpened by the recent arrival in Galway and Dublin of the Olio & Farina franchise, already well established Limerick.
These stylish shops bring together a carefully chosen selection of Italian artisan food products, wines, and some great gift ideas, such as olive wood bowls and dishes; pastry boards and giant pestles and mortars made from cool, white Carrera marble.
The Genoa-based company has a 52-hectare (130-acre) estate in Tuscany, where Italian food guru Paolo Parisi, the company's product supervisor, rears the rare-breed pig, the Cinta Senese, to provide wonderful hams and salamis for the shops. Parisi, who was in town for the opening of the Dublin shop last week, also keeps hens, which he feeds on goats' milk. The resulting eggs have creamy, pale yolks with an almondy taste, which can bring a lighter touch to mayonnaise, custard, or even fresh pasta. For the purists, Parisi suggests serving the yolk raw, in the shell, with a sprinkling of sea salt.
The O&F shop in Galway piloted a new approach for the franchise - an eat-in cafe using the cheeses, meats, pastas, antipasto vegetables, oils vinegars and preserves on sale in the shop. The Dublin shop, on Camden Street, also has a cafe, and an in-store bakery, wafting out the irresistible smell of fresh-baked focaccia and ciabatta, so you can try before you buy. David O'Neill and Valerie Considine are the owners, and they're already on the expansion trail, with their sights on Drogheda. Olio & Farina shops are at 17 Camden Street, Dublin 2; 50 Upper Abbeygate Street, Galway, and 2 Little Catherine Street, Limerick. Marie-Claire Digby
Rose-tinted glassesKeeping a hat on a child is almost impossible in the sun, and said hat can be wrenched off the minute you turn your back. Strangely, the same cannot be said for sunglasses, as children are often fascinated by the way they change their view of the world. Frubi shades are oh so cute but also provide serious sun protection for young eyes. They come in a range of styles and colours, and their foam design makes them practically kid-proof. Phyl Clarke
Tiger cubsAs someone who spent many a Saturday morning as a young lad having my swing beaten into shape by a golf pro, I can tell you that starting young is the only way to go when it comes to golf (and even then it's no guarantee of success). The Golfing Union of Ireland National Academy at Carton House in Maynooth hosts the first-ever Junior Golf Weekend on Saturday, August 25th and Sunday, August 26th. Sponsored by Opel, the event is entirely free and open to six- to 14-year-olds. The weekend will include masterclasses and tips from the pros in chipping, putting and driving. To stoke their competitive instincts, there will be a junior putting challenge running throughout the weekend in which more than 250 boys and girls will try to putt their way to the top of the leaderboard. Booking essential. For more information see www.gui.ie. Michael Kelly
Walking the walkThere's a Chinese proverb that says a threat is "both a danger and an opportunity". That may be why there is an "energy revolution" linked to the threat of climate change, according to Clare O'Grady Walshe of the justice, peace and human rights organisation, Afri. Her group intends to link the local with the global during next Saturday's annual Afri/Louisburgh Community Project walk through Mayo's Doolough mountain valley. "Voices in the wilderness: Erris, gas and global warming" is the theme of the 10-mile trek, held to commemorate those who perished in snow along the route from Louisburgh to Delphi Lodge during the Great Famine in 1849. This year's four leaders are Choctaw artist Gary White Deer, Choctaw and Jicarilla Apache consultant Dr Janie White Deer, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) sociology lecturer and NUI Seanad election candidate Dr Mark Garavan, and musician and poet John Hoban. Shuttle buses leave Louisburgh, Co Mayo, from 1pm next Saturday for the start at Doolough at 2pm, with refreshments en route. Further information from Afri at 01-8827563 or Louisburgh Community Project at 098-66218. Lorna Siggins
Oz by busIf you find a sojourn on the 46A a little on the protracted side, then move swiftly on: the following is definitely not for you. Those with an adventurous spirit and a fair bit of free time on their hands can now travel all the way to Australia by bus, courtesy of OzBus, a brand new company. The overland service operates between London and Sydney, passing through 20 countries on the way. The first bus leaves on September 16th and all 53 seats have already been snapped up by backpackers of varying nationalities and ages - the youngest passenger is 18, the oldest 69. If you've missed this one, though, a bit like the 46A, the next one will come along a week later. After that, you'll have to wait till January to book in. Company founder Mark Creasy says that if the demand is there, the service will eventually operate once a month. With only one flight involved in the entire 84-day trip, you also get to minimise your carbon footprint while maximising your travel experience. See www.oz-bus.com. Fiona McCann
Weighty mattersThinking about losing weight to
look good in that bikini? "Tackling the physical aspect of weight
loss is the easy bit," says Ciara McParland. "It is common sense
that you must change your diet and include exercise to see the
weight begin to fall off. In my opinion it is vital that a holistic
approach is taken - one that looks at the mental, emotional and
spiritual aspects of each person." McParland has developed an
approach with Jennifer Hanson called Enlightened Weight Loss, which
aims to help with the physical aspect of losing weight and also
allow people to tackle the reasons behind being overweight in the
first place. McParland dropped from 17 stone to 10 stone using this
approach, incorporating role-play, creative expression, group
discussion and even dance - the aim is to keep things fun. The
Enlightened Weight Loss Course (€250) is on next Saturday and
Sunday at the Central Hotel, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2, from 10am
to 5.30pm. Contact Ciara McParland at 087-2390672 for bookings.
Clare McCarthy
How we live (the future)The future shape of Ireland's countryside has been seen in Venice and Belfast, and now it's going to Cork. SubUrban to SuperRural, an exhibition that earned Ireland a special mention at last year's Venice Architecture Biennale, opens at the Webworks Building, Eglinton Street, Cork on Wednesday. In an ambitious project, nine Irish architectural practices examined our extreme suburbanisation and predicted the impact over the next 25 years.
The exhibition coincides with DES/IRE, a National Sculpture Factory conference that aims to look at housing for "real" people to live in - not just those "ideal homes" types of places beloved of interiors magazines. So whether you're living in the city, the country, or somewhere being swallowed up by the suburbs, it's all going on in Co Cork next week. SubUrban to SuperRural runs until June 8th, and then travels to Kildare, Dublin and Limerick. DES/IRE takes place next Thursday and Friday. For more information see www.architecturefoundation.ieand www.nationalsculpturefactory.com. Gemma Tipton
Belgian shuffleIt's hard to imagine the people of Louvain in Belgium doing jigs and reels, but that's exactly what will happen when the Kilfenora Céilí Band kick off the Festival of Irish Culture at Louvain's Grote Markt (Market Square to us) at 2pm today. The event celebrates the foundation of the historic Irish College in Louvain in 1607, and is part of a week-long celebration during which the inaugural Mícheál Ó Cléirigh summer school will be held. The line-up for the rest of the day includes folk band Rossa, all-female band Líadan, Niall Vallely, Karan Casey, Iarla Ó Lionáird and Lúnasa. The inaugural Mícheál Ó Cléirigh summer school, entitled The Irish in Europe: 400 years, will be held in St Anthony's College, now the Louvain Institute for Ireland in Europe, from Monday to Friday. The focus of the summer school will be the contribution of the Irish in Europe during the 17th century. The Irish College in Louvain was established in 1607 to educate Irish Franciscans during penal times, one of 34 Irish Colleges that were established throughout Europe. It was in Louvain that a font for the printing of Irish was developed, setting a standard for Irish printing for 350 years. The Annals of the Four Masters, a history of Ireland from its first recorded occupation, was also compiled here. For more information contact Imelda Dervin on 087-2322339. Michael Kelly
A lot of artIt attracts praise and criticism in equal measure, and it's been going for 177 years. It's the RHA Annual exhibition, and it opens to the public on Tuesday. With more than half of the works on show selected from open submission (the rest is by invitation), it's a great opportunity to see established artists and fresh new talent doing their thing. Highlights (although highlights are always a question of taste) this year include Nick Miller, Eithne Jordan, Hughie O'Donoghue, AIB Prize winner Diana Copperwhite, and even extend to architecture with an "inspired extract" of Patrick Mellett's ideas for a new museum in the United Arab Emirates. Take a look, maybe be inspired yourself, perhaps make a purchase. Meanwhile, as a Salon des Refusés for the 21st Century, Francis Street's Bad Art Gallery will be showing the work the RHA rejected. RHA: 01-6612558, www.royalhibernianacademy.com, Bad Art Gallery: 01-4537588. Gemma Tipton
• International make-up artists will be on hand to bring out the sun goddess in you at the Brown Thomas Summer beauty event in stores nationwide until May 27th. Summer colours, looks and styles for face, hair and body
• All that jazz: Sean Hession sings the Great American Song Book, accompanied by the Dave Gold 16-piece big band, next Friday at the National Concert Hall