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Ok, let's start with a few figures:
Last night at the Pesce and Patate Festival in Barga ....hmm,
maybe I should explain what "Pesce and Patate" means....Fish
and Chips. Yes, for 2 weeks every year Barga holds a Fish and
Chips Festival.
So, now I can restart my article? Last night at the Pesce
and Patate Festival over 700 people sat down to eat that oh so
traditional Tuscan dish: Fish and Chips. 700 people seated out
in the open around the Barga Football Stadium wolfed their way
through 230 Kilos of fish and over 200 Kilos of chips. All of
which was washed down with litres and litres of red and white
wine (nobody bothered to keep count of how many flasks of wine
were put on the tables)
The barganews photographer O' Connor reported that a thermometer
in the kitchens was showing an incredible 44° (that's 112°
for all you non metric people) Not suprising when you consider
how many vats of boiling oil were lined up full of frying fish
and sizzing chips. The image of the cook with the J&B headscarf
has not been altered.....he really was that red.
To get the real feel for the festival download this small MP3 file. It lasts only 45
seconds but on it you will hear the fish frying, learn the Italian
word for "fish", hear the sound of the Liscio music
playing in the background and what sounds like men about to start
a fight. This is in fact a game called MORA
which is played in groups of 4. It is actually illegal to play
this game in Italy due to the number of murders that take place
during the game due to raised tempers but it is a tradition hard
to stamp out here in the mountains. |
download a small MP3 file of the sounds