Today is the climax to a great Cultural Week of Ìtrabo and maybe the best day on the calendar for the likes of me, who doesn’t really truck with whole religious vibes too well.
Why the best day? It’s the XXVII Fiesta Del Vino de Ìtrabo… and I need to pause to go to our 10:30…
Back after only a short walk through the village to see the judges starting their dubious task of tasting and spitting about 29 wines. We didn’t want to hang around for too long watching that process with no skin in the game.
The winner of the wine making contest will be announced at 13:30 in the town square, where a lot of preparation was ongoing. I’m hoping the winner is one of the folk that crushes their grapes with their feet 🐾 (or maybe not). I still want to go to the wee house at the bottom of the main street to buy some half decent local wine and taste it for myself. Apparently it’s made without any chemicals, less hangover, I’m assured. I wonder how to test that hypothesis?
So, after a loooong day of fiesta in the sun, much fun was had by all.
It’s a good thing we decided that we should get there early to get tickets for the Paella, there was a funny ‘reserving’ theme going on and we had to go back and find our own seats and a table (thanks to Shauna & Gareth for theirs) and there was even a little “You CAN’T reserve seats!” action going on, but I was oblivious as they were speaking $p@n1$h I think. There were a LOT of people in the square this day and I’m thinking way more than the official 1023 that live here!
So, the tickets got us a dish of Paella, a cool souvenir glass and a lovely portion of cold-cuts which I didn’t get a picture of, but Tippi got the bits of fat and LOVED it! So did I (the other bits). And seeing as this was a wine festival, there was free local wine by the bucket load that most people seemed to be imbibing.
And speaking of local wine, Juan (and I missed the rest of his name) won the wine competition. Well done Juan! Or should that change to hWine? Bamdum tish!
Clive started as he meant to go on with the wine, while it was nice, it wasn’t to my taste so I didn’t go for the bucket, I only had about 3 or 4. That was plenty for me. When I popped back to Clive’s to see that Tippi was coping with all the noise (not too bad this far from the square) I took a beer back instead. (and depending where you’re from, read that as you will)
Once the paella was filling the bellies of at least half or more of the crowd, the ‘Boyband’ came out and started to entertain. And I will give them all credit in the world, they sang non-stop for hours! I could hear them still going at least three hours after I’d left.
It was a great day where I learned that little old Spanish grannies can outlast me in the fiesta, and probably outdrink me too! Clive had more stamina for wine and stayed until they probably ejected him. He DID sleep away most of today though… not sure if the non-chemicals in the wine had anything to do with it or just age. So its probably a moot point that needs… more study.
Don’t forget to ask Tippi for anything you’d like to see at tippi@onblacktoe.com
Most, or maybe none, of the requests will be held in the strictest of confidences.