Join Lenora Boyle in Italy, the land of passion and possibilities.



Thursday, August 27, 2009

Festivals in Italy



Can you imagine the fragrance of a house made of lemons and oranges? This is one of the structures built during the lemon festival in Menton, France. Okay, it's not in Italy but Menton used to be Italy until it became part of France. It's on the Italian/French border.

If you'd like a list of the major festivals (sagras) in Italy, check out the GO ITALY website.



From: Fodor's Review:
Beautiful beaches, rugged cliffs, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and plentiful small hotels and restaurants make Monterosso al Mare, the largest of the Cinque Terre villages (population 1,730), the busiest in midsummer. The village center bustles high on a hillside. Below, connected by stone steps, are the port and seaside promenade, where there are boats for hire. The medieval tower, Aurora, on the hills of the Cappuccini, separates the ancient part of the village from the more modern part. The village is encircled by hills covered with vineyards and olive groves, and by a forest of scrubby bushes and small trees.

Monterosso has the most festivals of the five villages, starting with the Lemon Feast on the Saturday preceding Ascension Sunday, followed by the Flower Festival of Corpus Christi, celebrated yearly on the second Sunday after Pentecost. During the afternoon, the streets and alleyways of the centro storico (historic center) are decorated with thousands of colorful flower petals set in beautiful designs that the evening procession passes over.

Finally, the Salted Anchovy and Olive Oil Festival takes place each year during the second weekend of September. In 2009, the festival is Saturday, September 19.
Thursday, the market (Old town center. Thurs. 8-1) attracts mingled crowds of tourists and villagers from along the coast to shop for everything from pots and pans and underwear to fruits, vegetables, and fish. Often a few stands sell local art and crafts as well as olive oil and wine.

Traditionally anchovies were preserved in salt for practical reasons. Up till today, they are still preserved in the same way, seasoned in olive oil and kept in glass containers ready to be enjoyed with bruschette and a glass of local white wine.

At the end of month, Monterosso has another food event, the Tournament of the Nuts along the streets of the village.

12 more days and i'll be walking the streets of Monterosso. I'll be there for the anchovy festival and perhaps I'll find some other sagri(festivals).

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Trailer for Italian Movie "Due Partite"






Due Partite (2 games or matches) looks like a beautiful movie about eight Italian women-- mothers and their daughters. I don’t think it has been released in the US yet but when it is released, I think it is a 'must see.' Here is the trailer and partite finale on Youtube. It was originally a play written by Cristina Comencini.

Excerpt from ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide: "In Italy circa 1966, four female friends meet regularly over a game of canasta, to discuss their hopes, fears and concerns. Frustrations also emerge - many tied to the women's histories of extinguishing personal dreams in exchange for the false promises advertised as nuptial bliss. Thus begins helmer Enzo Monteleone's intimate ensembler Due Partite. The setting then shifts to Italy in 1996, when the women's daughters begin meeting for canasta, reflect on their own lives, and ponder a tragedy that befell one of the mothers. The cast features Margherita Buy, Claudia Pandolfi, Isabella Ferrari and several other mainstays of the Italian screen."

Watch for the movie to be released in the US with subtitles.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Tuscan Sun Festival in Cortona, Italy Aug3-9

One of the top 10 art festivals in Europe in being held this week in one of my favorite towns in Italy: Cortona. If you're in Italy, hop on over to Cortona in Tuscany. Yesterday the tour included a visit to the San Francesco church and by shuttle to ‘Le Celle’, the monastery where Saint Francis of Assisi lived in the 13th century, set in a beautiful rock sanctuary. My husband and I happened upon this church when we were there 3 years ago, and its magic is still present in my heart.

Enjoy the festival and all the photos on the Tuscan Sun site: http://www.tuscansunfestival.com/

Let me know if you attend!