Ruralia 2008

Posted on 2008/05/25 19:13:09 (May 2008).

[Sunday 25th May 2008]

Woke up with a terrible headache and back pain... I was meant to go to practice underwater rugby but had to let it go... Went back to bed for a couple of hours sleep, and things got a bit better...

Around midday, I remembered that Gianfranco mentioned a couple of days ago that there was going to be a big fair in a place called Villa Dermidoff, near Florence.

The Villa is in reality one of the most beautiful parks that we have in the hills of Florence, and the fair was a sort of animal/organic food/all things natural event.

Of course the attraction are the animals and the products that can be acquired in these fairs, but for us there was also the show that Gianfranco was going to hold together with Silvio.
They are both expert mycologists, and with their association they were going to show all the various species that they found recently. They really know a lot of mushrooms and plants, it was great to listen to their explanations!

We then moved to the snake den, Chiara hates them but I quite like snakes. I got a Pyton to climb over my arm and shoulder, it was really cool I think... Chiara managed to touch a couple of snakes, so I guess that maybe her fear might have decreased a little, though she would want to try the "snake collar" with the snake put at the back of the neck dangling down like a sort of necklace.

We then moved around the park, met Marco and Veruska and their baby Nicholas, and after some chit-chatting we parted and started seeing the animals and buying different products.

We bought a lot of cheese (Chiara can only eat goat cheese, all the other diary products are a bit of a no-no), a "real" piece of butter, some wood owen baked bread, a couple of excellent salami-type meat made with "cinta senese" a very good quality of pork.

The animals on display seemed a bit sad (well I'd be sad if I had to stay in a cage for 3 days!!) but it was interesting to see them and hear all the explanations from the farmers.

A very good day all in all, started bad but recovered in the end, after all we spent a lot of time outside in the country which is good of course!

Ah, yes, we have a similar place near to us, which the kids love to got to - to feed baby lambs and stroke the horses etc. I can even drive a tractor!! (OK it's just a simulator but it's still fun.) :D

Posted by Nigel at 2008/05/26 10:53:56.

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