Moresco Italy's Folkloristico Festival 2013

One of the many, and I mean MANY, festivals you will find going on in Italy during the summer is in Moresco which is in the La Marche region of Italy in the hills overlooking the Aso Valley and the Adriatic coast. In terms of scenery, this part of Italy is hard to beat.

One strange fact about Moresco is that it is home to one of the only seven sided medieval towers in Europe.

We were lucky to have been able to visit during this time of year, the Folkloristico Festival was fun and interesting to see. I love how this festival was more of a community gathering or almost what American's would call a "block party." Since the town of Moresco is a very old Medieval town, the way it is built, everything is connected. There are apartments all around the square and during they day you would see people opening and closing their shutters depending on the weather. We weren't so lucky in the fact that this was the wettest start to a summer Italy has seen in a long time so we did have to wait out a rain shower here and there.

Another couple of interesting facts about Moresco is that it has a heptagonal shaped watch tower and is home to frescos (Seen Below) by the famous Italian painter Vincenzo Pagani, which we were told is worth tens of millions of dollars. The tower (seen above) is strange in the odd number of sides that it has but from the top of the tower that rises 25 meters, you can get an amazing view of the Aso Valley, Pedaso and on a clear day you can even see the coast of Albania which is approximately 70 km away.

The folkloristico festival is all about the way it used to be in Moresco. There are a few people who dress in the traditional Italian costumes, they sing and dance to old songs in Dialect. There are about close to thirty people in different groups playing the accordion and another with the a tambourine. I fell in love with an older lady who sang and danced for the entire time we were there which had to be close to 6 hours. I hope when I'm her age I have as much energy. You see her pictured below and I'll post the video as well.

There are big reasons for coming to Italy which everyone knows and dreams about but I have learned that in Italy there are more reasons NOT to go to the over crowded, over priced and often over romanticised tourist traps. While I too went to or will go to Rome, Florence, Milan and Venice, I have found that some of the most beautiful sights have been in the small medieval towns. I learned that the only place to find Italians, is to go where the tourists aren't. Rent a car and drive away from these cities and after an hour the first B&B you find, stop there and you will find your heaven. Festivals go on in every town all across Italy all it takes is a bit of luck and adventure. Growing up and learning about how civilization got it's start in Italy somehow makes it very romantic in but in reality the real beauty of Italy is in the homes of Italians, in the kitchens, in the bar's and in the center of town during these festivals. The heart of Italy beats strong off the beaten path.

The prices of food and drinks outside the tourist traps are cheap to reasonable. You can get a liter of very good wine from 2 to 4 Euro's and rarely pay more than 2 Euro for a slice of truly Italian pizza which is very filling. But don't stop at just the pizza because they have a pork sandwich called "porchetta" that will make your mouth water with every bite. There isn't anything anyone should be afraid to try in Italy, they aren't very adventurous with spices except for basil, rosemary and olive oil which you will find on most everything. So don't be scared, go off and explore and learn what real Italy is all about.

Monterubbiano Italy's Armata di Pentecoste Is a sight to see

We got lucky when we got to Italy. The family we were staying with lives about 5 minutes down the road from Monterubbiano which is a tiny town in the hills above the Aso valley in Marche Italy. "La Marche" is known for being the shoe capital of Italy and for having rich soil for crops. Another thing it should be known for is amazing views of the mountains, the valley and the ocean. Looking east I could see the Adriatic sea, south east I see the valley and to the south I see snow capped mountains also referred to as a little slice of heaven. Below are a few pictures but trust me when I say that these pictures only give you an idea of how beautiful it is.

Another way we got lucky was that we arrived in Italy at the beginning of festival season which is pretty much the entire summer. The first festival we were lucky enough to attend was in the town of Monterubbiano and the festival was called "Armata Di Pentecoste" or roughly translated to army of pentecost. The town has no records of the age of this festival but most of the townsfolks we spoke with say that it could be as old as Italy itself. The festival lasts for 3 days with activities like the band march, which is a group of about 15 drummers going up and down the streets banging out different songs. There is also the "meet and greet" which is where the "teams" for the Picena race or the "ring tournament." There is also a holy mass that the town holds outside near the racecourse. We weren't able to attend all the events but below are a few pictures of the ring tournament, the flag demonstration and holy mass.

This festival is one of many that few non-Italians get to see because this region isn't on the "tourist's" radar. We believe, after staying here for nearly two months that this should be right up there with Rome, Florence and Venice. The views are unbelievable, the food is incredible and the beaches are perfect for families. There is just as much history in Fermo, Moresco and too many more to name. So if you don't like all the crowds and hordes of photo snapping tourists then try the Aso Valley, you won't be disappointed. The last few pictures I'm adding are just some of the many cool things we saw and did. So if you find yourself planning a visit to Italy take head in the best piece of advice I can give you about this lovely country, beware of the tourist. They come in droves, they take a picture of everything and they move much like cattle, slow bunched up and groan about everything. Enjoy!

Free walking tour of Dublin Ireland

Ireland is a beautiful island, the grass is the greenest I have ever seen and there is vegetation growing absolutely everywhere and it is easy to understand why rainbows are synonymous with leprechauns.

(Above picture was taken from the balcony of our friends apartment in norther Dublin, near the airport.)

The second day we were in Dublin, Brownie and I decieded to take the free walking tour. (This is a MUST do here) We had the cutest Irish girl giving the tour, Emer (pronounced like Lemur minus the L,) and on our tour that started at 2pm I think it rained 4 to 5 times, hailed once, windy the entire time and bright and sunny 3 times. Our first thoughts was that we chose the wrong day to take the walking tour but after a week there we realized there is no "right" time to take a walking tour, you just have to have the luck of the Irish.


(our cute tour guide)

(This is where the tour starts. Right outside of Dublin Castle with a person holding the free tour sign.)

The tour is completely free but they do give you the opportunity to tip them after the tour is over and if you don't give them a tip or a decent tip, they won't even blink an eye. I on the other hand gave as much as I would have paid to get that much information, which was pretty decent from an American stand point. I couldn't imagine someone would go on that tour and give less than 5 Euro, it is a very good tour and the tour guide will stop to answer any and all questions thrown at them no matter how silly or difficult they are to answer. In my group there was only one Mexican (Brownie) and two Americans (some guy from New York and me) and the rest were Dutch, Spanish, or German. The tour was 3 hours long give or take 20 minutes, the tour guide was very knowledgeable and she was funny which made the time go buy way to fast. The tour goes to Trinity College, Old Parliament House, Temple Bar, City Hall, Dublin Castle, Wood Quay, Christ Church Cathedral and Four Courts. All of which are interesting and/or beautiful so bring a water proof camera or video camera because you will want to take loads of pictures. The camera doesn't HAVE to be water proof but if you want to be sure it doesn't get water logged, then you better have something to keep it dry at all times. In Dublin, if you like the weather just wait 5 minutes and it will remind you why the grass is so green.

If you can deal with the cold, wind and rain then Dublin is a great place to be. The people there are nice and helpful to everyone no matter their cultural differences, race or class. This is one of the most diverse cities I have ever been in. I heard more languages spoken in one day in the city center than I had in my entire life, though it was strange, it was a good strange. The downside of Dublin is the cost. This is a very expensive city, it is cheaper to fly from Dublin to London England than it is to go out to a nice restaurant for two. (If you fly Ryaniar) A pint of beer is anywhere between 5 and 7 Euros which is roughly $6.50 to $9 USD and for those of you who smoke, a pack of Marlboros will cost 8.50 Euros (nearly $11 USD). If you plan on visiting Dublin be sure to add plenty of room for your food and drink costs. Below are some pictures of the sights you see on the tour, though I didn't take many because my camera isn't water proof. (another lesson learned after the fact)