From late spring to late fall, revel in the Umbria countryside in one of our Assisi-area apartments…..and while here join us for a sagra, those delightful village food festivals.
Just ask Louise and Dawn and young Ella and Christia – from California and our guests for a month – about the “sagra good times.” In late July, they joined us for an evening at the Sant’Anna sagra, in the hills near our house.
Enroute up to Santa’Anna from our farmhouse
Plank tables under the food tents were beginning to fill up with groups of feasting families and friends as we arrived.
We put in our food orders – and then headed for a table.
Young volunteer servers (the usual “wait staff” at
sagre) were dashing table-to-table with trays of the tasty Umbrian specialties cooked up in the kitchen tent by older volunteers
…. meanwhile, elderly Rinaldo (84 years!) cleared the tables:
Many diners started with
antipasti:
…and a favorite
antipasto choice is always the
suppli (rice balls) which our rural friend Peppa usually makes:
The tasty pâtés and bruschette entice many:
Favorite primi (“first courses”) the night we were there? Gnocchi with four cheeses (or with goose meat) and fettuccine with porcini mushrooms…..
…but I ordered my favorite “Sant’Anna pasta” dish:
fischioni al sugo d’oca (rigatoni pasta with sauce of goose meat):
Pino had skipped the pasta course and ordered
antipasti (
suppli and
bruschette miste) followed by
grigliata mist (“mixed grill”):
Mixed grill was the choice of many that night:
But not for “our girls,” vegetarians, who chose
gnocchi ai quattro formaggi (gnocchi with four cheeses).
….also the choice of Cami, our delightful Workaway helper from Argentina who also joined in the fun:
But the evening prize-winner for all the girls?
Arvoltoli, an Umbrian fried fritter dessert – with Nutella:
For Ella (13), the sagra is “a great way to experience the Italian culture and have fun while learning the history of the area.”
Her sister, Christia (10), added “should not be missed because it is a good way to meet new people.”
Their mother, Louise enjoins, “Go for the food, music, dancing and great time with friends and family.”
….and she, her friend Dawn and Cami certainly enjoyed the dancing, joining the locals in the group dancing:
Young ones joined in the ballroom dancing, too, following and copying their parents.
A little one joined in the dance band’s music with his own accordian:
Many simply enjoyed the dancing scene from plastic chairs surrounding the dance area.
In the food tents, feasting and chatting among friends went on until late.
Nearby, the play area for young children entertained the little ones:
Many young couples had small children with them.
(A delight to see all the young papàs caring for their little ones):
..and some day. those little ones will probably be serving up the goodness, too, at this wondrous Festa di Sant’Anna.
Click here to read about – and see! – good times at a past Sant’Anna sagra
Read about the gnocchi sagra, also in July in Umbria
Thank you for a wonderful evening we will always remember. Such fun and delicious food too!
So glad you joined in!