big day

Festival day
Today we are celebrating the ascension into Heaven of the Virgin Mary,
So headed off to the main church square where all the traffic, cars and pedestrian were heading.
Could not believe my luck when the position I came to was right beside the priests on their stand and to the side of the statues. There were two one of the Christ child and one of Mary all covered in gold necklaces. Masses of people there and we were blessed ( and sort of responded, amen I could cope with) and then they released a dove and then a metal one come back to the priests stand on a wire ( I guess it is to symbolise it returning, and make sure it does)
Then huge bangs as they set off fireworks about 20 mtrs behind me, does lose a lot in daytime, big bangs lots of smokes and paper falling from the sky but really could not see colours against the sunlit blue sky.
Was very hot and sweaty and I was glad to be on the front of the crowd. P showed up about now after texting he was photographing in the area. If you were a nun you got to look out of the windows. We then followed the statue, and joined the procession around a block where there was a huge TV screen for those who did not want to move and then back to the church where the bells were ringing.
I did tear up a bit when the old lady beside me lifted her husband out of his wheelchair and held him so he could be blessed, but he then collapsed back down again.
The statues and crown headed into the church, P went back to photos and I went off to find a money machine.( a one way drain at the moment)
Walk up the Via Monte Cassino for afternoon exercise, and himself for photos, did a loop and found the old town on the hill that was so destroyed by bombing they have never rebuilt in that area. We headed off down a path and came across the cellars of an old villa , open on one side and mattress and other signs of occasional tenants. Path got a bit lost so I headed up to the road and the ever exploring P headed down. After a pleasant stroll to the bottom I got a text saying his track ran out and he was on the way back up the road.
Home for a kiwi tea of boiled potato beans and chicken, cheese or cheese, spinach patties.
Can’t have pasta and pizza everyday.
Then into town where the wonderful street lights looked much better in the dark. Lots of stalls run by Chinese and Africans selling the same old tatty stuff you see in every country.
P up early and climbed up to the old tower while I slept in and did the washing. Then to Lorenzo’s for lunch, this time the whole family including inlaws about 16 of us all out on the terrace around a big table. One end was ll the men drinking home made wine out of huge bottles, they looked like a scene from the Sporanos. The women were in and out of the kitchen. Meal was in courses as follows , plus bread of course
1)proschuitto and melon,
2) lasagne,
3) 4 types of meat,
4) peas, crumbed aubergine,potatoes,frittata, moussaka
5)nectarines
6)watermelon
7)profiteroles with lemon custard ( frozen) and melon cream cake
8) coffee
Was a little full after all that. Weird seeing the meat as a course on its own.
We managed some conversations but mostly just sat back and observed the family dynamics and arm waving.
Back home at 6.00 and we had a wee sleep, then at 8.30 went to town for the evening stroll. Just on time for the big procession , the Virgin Mary statue was being carried up the main street with masses of people following. We followed up the sidewalk. T priest from the Abbey was singing the blessing at each stop every 200 mtrs or so. We then left that and walked amongst the stalls, including bunnies and birds, peanut roasters fortune tellers and then home.

Big fireworks spectatular due at 12.30 so stayed up and nothing.......

then at 1.00am huge bang and it started was Italian time, very good tho the bangs echoed round the valley and must have scared the old people and babies..