Myrtle Claus
The summer months are just around the corner and with it the 'nice nights out' season begins. There is no reason in Italy to stay home at night and stare at a television full of reruns. Or you are bored sitting in the garden, on your balcony, in front of your house, while listening to chirping crickets. Really not necessary. There is no village, town or city where no fun cultural activities are organized. Music, theater or dance, there is a lot to discover in even the smallest hamlet. Time for feast e sagre!
'Sagre', 'sagre' and more 'sagre'
And, as befits a country where good food and drink are an important part of everyday life, there are of course the summer festivals, the true food feasts. They get so much attention and advertising in the street that they completely push the other activities into the background.
You can't think of it as crazy or a party is being organized for it: the feast of Vis, of the Truffel and the 'Pastasciutta'. The festival of the Eel, the Florentine steak, the Frog and the Pie. The feast of the Snails, the Cep, the Pie and the Tortelli. The Feast of the Cherry, the 'Ficattola' (fried bread dough) or the hearty Zuppa. There is even a Vegetarian Food Festival. And then I'm only talking about the month of June!
The better sagra feeling
Now I'm personally not the real sagra type, who doesn't miss a party. But I don't mind standing in a long line to enter a party area. To have to make my menu choice from a well-thumbed A4. And then wait until you can sit down at a long table with people. Finally, to get the better picnic feeling, as you eat the tasty dishes with plastic cutlery from plastic plates and take a sip of red wine from a plastic cup.
Especially not when you're in good company that distracts your attention from the smacking stranger next to you. Because it's just fun to experience that from time to time.
A very special village festival…
So when there are placards all along the road announcing the feast of the 'Porchetta e la Birra Artigianale', the men in this house are unstoppable. Roast suckling pig and craft beer, that's where we have to go!
We get in the car around seven to avoid the crowds and drive to the village in the hills. Where the crowds are indeed not too bad. And we can park near the party area without any problems, which surprises us slightly. Until we arrive at the gate and see children playing soccer on the field. No stands or long tables. No starting crowds. just no festival. Cancelled.
With unexpected ending
Back home we find no option and we drive on to the next festival. Let's ignore the 'Sagra della Trippa', the typical regional dish based on tripe, and move on to the Florentine Steak. Where we park the car very tightly in a small street and we follow the flow of people to reach the entrance of the festival to come.
It looks black with people. That will be a very long queue, while our stomachs start to rattle from all those charcoal smells. We look at each other, squeeze back into the car and drive on to the next spot. Where we can park easily, there is no line, we are always welcomed with open arms and where we get a table all to ourselves.
Because you can also just do that on an Italian summer evening: visit your favorite pizzeria!
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