Public access
Open
Venue
Venues and locations across Lugo, Galicia
Date & Time
16 – 18 May, 2024
More info
The city of Lugo was the scenery for Ulysses episode VIII, Lestrygonians, in which Leopold Bloom stops on his long walk through the streets of Dublin to have a small lunch, a cheese sandwich, and a white wine from Burgundy. The food and the walk were therefore be the thematic protagonists of the Luguese interpretation of this episode. In this sense Lugo was the perfect setting for the second staging of Lestrygonians – an unplanned but celebratory return to the streets of Lugo!
Thursday 16th – Saturday 18th May, 2024
Following a successful first outing in May 2023, the historic walled city of Lugo – already renowned as a foodie destination in the centre of gastronomy that is Galicia – hosted another not to be missed weekend programme featuring Galician food, music and performance, inspired by the Lestrygonians episode of James Joyce’s Ulysses. A packed weekend included music, dance, poetry, as well as talks and other events relating to the delicious food and wine that is produced in the region.
In Chapter VIII of Ulysses, Harold Bloom vividly describes a scene where, after contemplating topics as diverse as the relationship between rats and stout beer, the Boer War, human desire, and the lifestyle of seagulls, he enters the Burton pub. There, he observes a group of unkempt eaters devouring their food—”stout. One corned and cabbage”—which prompts him to leave and head to Davy Byrne’s, where he opts for a delicate Gorgonzola cheese sandwich and a glass of white Burgundy wine.
During the coordination of the Lugo programme for the European project, we faced challenges due to the nuanced relationship between our cultural and food sectors. This connection can be difficult to comprehend in other parts of Europe because, in Galicia, food producers are regular sponsors of cultural activities, and many are even considered part of the cultural and creative sector. For example, Martín Códax Wines, the largest exporter in the region, has its own cultural manager, Rosa Bugallo, who collaborated once again to support the UEO Lugo programme. Similarly, Adrián Pérez Lago from Castelo’s Cheese returned for this second edition as a speaker at the roundtables; he is also a cultural manager.
This intertwining of gastronomy and culture is a significant part of the sociocultural landscape in Galicia, akin to that of other Latin regions. Our Foundation, for instance, has a group of regular sponsors who are all food producers. They were invited back to support the festival’s second edition, contributing to a specifically designed thematic symposium and enhancing the artistic programme with in-kind product support. These contributions added a gastronomic dimension to the festival:
- Castelo’s Cheese (a member of the Cebreiro mountain cheese origin certificate): Provided a symposium speaker once again (CEO Adrián Pérez Lago) and hosted two tasting activities during the opening breakfast and final toast.
- Alhambra Beers: Sponsored the Saturday afternoon toast.
- Lodeiros Vermouth Caves: Supported the final toast.
- Deleite Milks: Sponsored the live rock music performance at the Local Food Market by Radio Oceano.
Event video
Programme
Event Photos
