By fortune we found out about an historical reenactment in Montepulciano and we bought tickets. It was to start at 10pm so we booked a table in a well-regarded nearby restaurant, the Osteria Aquaceta, for 7.30. The meal was memorable. We had some modest pastas for starters and for the main course, a steak Florentine between the four of us. It was a 1.8 kilo T-bone at 30 euros a kilo. It was about eight centimetres thick. The restaurant owner came and drew the shape of it on the paper tablecloth and we agreed it should be done rare. It came on a huge platter cut through into long chunks with a lovely crusty exterior and a very rare centre. It looked huge but my doubts were unfounded and we scoffed the lot. Phew, delicious meat overdose washed down with a bargain carafe (or two) of the local Sangiovese.
Then off to the main square for the pageant – the annual Corto Dei Ceri – or procession of the candles. The candles were huge ones carried by nobles in medieval costume into the floodlit town square and handed over to the priest for use in the cathedral. There was much spectacle, the best being a display of flag throwing by youths in costume. There was lots of colour and movement and drama and plenty of insistent drumming to accompany the flight of the flags high into the air and safely down into the hands of the skilled catchers.
In my albums
Wow! Not a bad life huh? Hope you guys are good and found the hats you were after…when you say local speciality, were they actually helmets to defend against any rogue articles resulting from the flag throwing?
As for father and the king cobra..of course it wasnt just a regular grass snake!
Have fun!