April 26, Panzano in Chianti

April 25 was Liberation Day and the small village of Panzano really was turned out in all it's best. I am sure that the small population of around 900, swelled in size by three times. The streets were closed off for the day and the highlight was the parade.Towns folk were dressed in ancient costumes as they proceeded to pass from the Church down to the central square and back up the hill. There was a drum and bugle band with flag carriers. Quite an undertaking for such a small town. To make it all the more special, the weather man provided a splendid day with lots of sunshine and warm temperatures. There were all sorts of vendors selling craft wares and food and wine. We participated with samples of pork sandwiches and local wine. There is a local butcher in Panzao , Dario Cecchini, who is famous all over Italy. Gale and I have seen programs about him on TV at home. His shop is a wonderful experience to see. He also runs a restaurant called SaloCicca. This means "only meat". We were fortunate to be able to eat dinner there last night. We had 11 people all sitting together at a round table and sharing an unbelievable meal prepared by Dario. The dishes were mostly meat and some vegetables and it is difficult to describe the variety. The dishes were also complemented with wine made by Dario. Joining us at our table we had 3 young women from Russia, one couple from Florence, a couple from Seattle, a couple from San Francisco. It was so much fun and a great experience to participate in a elegant Italian feast. We had reserved for the 7 o'clock sitting and promptly at 9 o'clock we had to lead so that the 9 o'clock sitting were to replace us at the table. Today Sunday is not very nice with cool weather and a steady drizzle. We are spending the day in our room reading. Tomorow we are taking the bus and going to visit Florence for the day. I will let you know of that adventure later.