May I Check That Crossbow For You, Sir?

"In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, bloodshed - but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love, 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did they produce? The cuckoo clock."

Orson Welles as Harry Lime
in The Third Man

Italians love their outdoor festivals and we're glad they do. Sometimes you can make plans to attend them and other times you simply stumble into them.

One time on the way to the passagiata - this is an early evening stroll around town indulged in by Spoletinos of all ages. It's very social with plenty of those European kisses smacking the night air. Little dogs strain impatiently to move those on the other end of their leashes along the Corso Garibaldi for more good sniffing action. Where was I? - Oh, yes, so as we were exiting the passageway from the Rocca dei Perugini (our building) we stepped right into the Strangozzi Festival. Strangozzi is Umbria's favorite pasta. About six different restaurants were serving up the eggless pasta (it looks like four-sided spaghetti) with their versions of the best sauce for the dish. Wine came with the low price and there were even a few stands offering freshly roasted chestnuts.
A party at our doorstep; it doesn't get any better than this!

Another weekend we drove over to San Giovanni d'Asso in Tuscany where the famous (well, here in Italy anyway) Tartufi Bianchi Festival was being held. Factoid: We're talking about white truffles here and they go for about $1000 a pound.

To my surprise, trained dogs, not pigs, are used to find these highly prized culinary gems. Anything related to truffles was up for sale and all the town's restaurants offered them on their menus. I bought a bottle of the truffle flavored olive oil.

But the most memorable thing was what we spotted in the parking lot after lunch. A glut of Ferraris amassed outside the back door like something out of a Fellini movie.

There must have been 12 of them - a truly rare WOW moment! After catching our breath we quietly moved to our humble Peugeot and drove back to Spoleto wondering what THAT was all about.

And, now, about those crossbows. East and over the Apennines to Norcia was our only plan that day. A nice flat town - a break from hill towns - where their claim to fame is the birth place of St. Benedict (the first monk) and his twin sister Scholastica (the first nun.) Hey, that's what they told us. The area is also famous for cured meats (mostly from cinghiale, (wild boar), which they have taxidermied and grouped around the macelleria (butcher shop) doors- truly odd, especially the smiling baby boars (looking like fairytale piglets.) This being said, I must admit the porchetta sandwiches were delicious.

We'd had an entertaining and informative day and were heading toward the parking lot outside the arch in the town's surrounding wall when we spotted pretty young girls dressed in beautiful velvet gowns.

There were several spectacularly decked out drum lines and, yes, men in tights. (I always wondered how people time-traveled; maybe they just go to Norcia and eat porchetta sandwiches.) Back we went and before we could ask "Did someone remember to raise the drawbridge on the way out?" we were witnessing a 3-town palio. Most people think of the wildly dangerous horse race in Siena but this palio competition featured crossbows.

Norcia, San Benedetto and Assisi, each in their team colors, put on a remarkable display. After participating in an around the town parade with drums and trumpets they entered the main piazza. At the base of St. Benedict's statue (I didn't see one for Scholastica), they got to work.

From 75 yards most managed a solid thunk into the target, the bull's-eye being about the size of a deck of cards. Hot damn, those bowman not only looked good, they were good.
Can you recognize anyone among the onlookers on the steps of the town hall?

We've been to several Christmas markets (very big in Europe). This one was in Spoleto. I'm carrying my Daddy-Kit Bag

(Kristen, my friend in Florida makes them). I take it to the grocery store here (and any little shopping trip) because they charge you for plastic bags... Really! Jim enjoys all food sampling and there was plenty at the cheese table.



Party on,
Susan

(Wishing she had one of those velvet gowns. Jim says he wouldn't mind trying the crossbow, but he's not interested in wearing the tights.)