Festa della Fontana

As well as the Easter festivities that have taken place recently in my small, southern Italian town, there has also been another cause to celebrate; namely the Festa della Fontana, and this means live music, street stalls, processions and yes, you guessed it, tons of fireworks. Take a look at some of the photos I've taken during the past couple of days, including several shots of the amazing (yet oh-so-dangerous) head-height bangers!!

See the ones in the white hoodies? Yep, they run right underneath said head-height fireworks.

I literally have no words for this. Apart from: Love the shirt.

Setting up

 

Marching band

More entertainment :D

They do look like jolly fellows don't they? :)

People were literally ducking.

Yep, looks rather like a war zone doesn't it? ;)

I tell you what, even though we definitely don't have festivals like this in the UK and thus I am 100% NOT used to fireworks going off near my vital organs, in a strange way I can't help but love it. The whole town comes together and joins in the celebrations, and, despite the severe lack of health and safety precautions, everyone has a great time. Have you been to an exciting festival lately?

Summer is coming...!

 April 25th 2012. This day is important for several reasons.

1) It is Italian liberation day- a celebration of the end of fascist rule in 1945.

2) It is a national holiday, and therefore a day off. A mid-week day off! Che bello!

3) Today was a beautiful day. So it was time for a bit of BEACH. The first real beach visit of the year. Sandals were on, ice-cream was eaten. BRING ON THE SUMMER!

 

Community spirit...and risk of losing a limb...

It's at this time of year that my region has more festivals than you can shake a stick at. Not only is there Easter, but a number of other celebrations that have two things in common: dodgy music concerts and many, many fireworks. I enjoy fireworks as much as the next person. Ones that are way up high in the sky that is. Not near head height. Which, incidentally, the majority of the fireworks here are. It's an incredibly interesting tradition that people in this particular part of the country observe, many even running alongside said head height explosives, one arm majestically in the air, gaining what I can only assume to be respect from their peers. In my opinion it's just downright dangerous. I need a new pair of trousers every time the darn things are set off. Basically, they FRIGHTEN ME. I, unlike those who fully embrace this tradition and get as close to the fireworks as possible, stay well back. That is, until the jostling crowd pushes me further towards my CERTAIN DEATH FROM EXPLODING SPINNING THINGS. And of course, because of this, I earn no respect. And many looks of bewilderment. A positive thing about all of this though, is the way it brings everyone together. Literally. Everyone. 

FOLLOW THOSE EXPLOSIVES!

I took a walk down the main street yesterday and bumped into about 10 people I knew. And in comparison to the natives, I know practically no-one. We don't have anything equivalent to this in my UK hometown, not even close. Here, everyone huddles together, stops to chat, eats ice cream (this will have a post of its own in the future) and manages to find a parking space where you would never have imagined there would be one (...yep, more on this too!) It's all about the festival. I'm still standing way back though. Preferably two streets away.

Follow this link to see exactly what I mean...