Torino, Italy is host to Terra Madre a world meeting of food communities. It is anticipated that 5,000 sustainable food producers, chefs, and university representatives from over 150 countries on 5 continents representing 1600 food communities will attend this years meeting. One thousand cooks will attend and 200 universities will be represented.

The Slow Food movements Terre Madre event will run from October 26 through October 30, 2006 in Torino, Italy. Slow Food is a non-profit, environmental and food friendly association founded in 1989 in response to the fast food and fast life culture that exists in much of the world today. Terra Madre is held every two years.

The Slow Food movement is reviving local food traditions and generating new interest in the food that people eat. The movement is encouraging people to learn where their food comes from, think about how it tastes and contemplate how our food choices affect the world as a whole.

Slow Food is particularly devoted to protecting food biodiversity and helping producers in developing countries.

Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door 2006: The Travel Skills Handbook (Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door)

Rick Steves is a well-known author of European travel books. I have been using his guidebooks for at least 10 years and find them to be among the best of the many books available.

When I first started using Rick's guidebooks he was much less well known than he is today. Ten years ago it was possible to visit places he recommended without seeing hoards of other Americans. Unfortunately his popularity has grown to the point where one mention by him and people start to flock to what were once out of the way areas.

Nevertheless, I still recommend his books for the common sense advice that they provide. Before traveling to Europe for the first time in a long time I read "Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door" and found the advice invaluable. I still highly recommend this book for anyone going to Europe for the first time.

Much to the surprise of Italian restaurant and bar owners, a government proposal to raise Italy's legal age for buying alcohol from 16 to 18 has been included in a draft of the 2007 budget. Many restaurant and bar owners in Italy believe they should have been consulted before the proposal was included in the budget.

The penalty for disobeying the law will be stiff. Fines will range between €3,000 and 6,000 (approximately $3,900 to $7,500 US) for anyone caught selling alcohol to someone under the age of 18.

It is hoped by the government that raising the drinking age will reduce the number of alcohol related traffic accidents. Many Italians recognize that the high level of traffic accidents is related to alcohol consumption. About 200 Italian teenagers die every year as a result of accidents involving drinking and driving.