Festas, christenings, food, wine, more food ....

In recent weeks all the local towns and villages have had their festas, several of which we have attended. We also had the San Bernardo festa a couple of weeks ago for the people who live along our road. There was mass in the chapel just up the road followed by various meals. We ate with our neighbours, Emilia & Cinto, and their family and enjoyed a typical (and very large) piemontese meal. We particularly enjoyed the cinghiale (wild boar), probably the best we have tasted while we have been here, even Matteo tried a bit! After our meal there was a football match which everyone took very seriously, even if we had the ability to play football we wouldn't have been able to after the amount we had just eaten! We then called in to see some other neighbours and had to stay and have some more food and wine with them before being invited to help them eat up the left overs the following day! When we arrived home we found another neighbour had left us a plate of food outside the house! If what I helped them eat on the Sunday were the leftovers I'm glad I didn't see the meal on Saturday! We had platters of starters followed by plates and plates of meat from the BBQ then fruit & cheese & cake, all washed down with an abundance of wine.

Last week I was invited round to eat with at least 2 of our neighbours while Andy was away working and then yesterday we attended the christening of the grandaughter of one of our neighbours. The christening was held at the little chapel up the road followed by drinks then everyone headed down to their other house in the valley where we enjoyed yet another enormous meal and even wine to keep us all going until christmas! Apparently there is another festa in a couple of weeks, I'm not sure how many more we can survive!