welcome to Lupinaia
Heather Jarman, a local who knows everything there is to know about food and festivals in the Bagni di Lucca area, took me to the Chestnut Festival in Lupinaia on Sunday. It was a glorious autumn day, perfect for a day in the mountains.
on the way to Lupinaia
We drove to the lower car park and took the shuttle bus to the village. We had considered (briefly) walking to the top, but thought better of it. Just as well, the signs said 3 kilometres, but the signs lied. It had to be at least 5 kilometres, all uphill.
The festival was well underway when we arrived. There were long queues at the food tents so we headed off to see what else was happening in the village.
There were lots of food stands selling the local products of the area. With my resident food expert at my side I was able to make all the right choices. She directed me to a hand milled local grain for polenta. Apparently the red polenta is the best of all.
the red polenta is on the left
We also got to meet the grower and grinder.
he also sells chestnut flour, walnuts and honey
The nearby stand sold some very good sausages and salami.
fat salami
thin salami
fat sausages
We walked on up the hill through the village.
we walked past grapevines
There were food stalls set up on balconies.
food with a view
we walked past a lovely tree
we walked past a pretty girl on a fence
We walked past a very large woodpile. It gets cold up there in winter.
Heather beside the woodpile
We finally arrived at the scene of the chestnut roasting action.
the scene of the action
roasting the chestnuts
hard at work
it
quietly roasting
the roasting pans need to be shaken
time to eat them
These were the best chestnuts I have ever eaten. They were cooked to perfection and were plump and delicious.
There was a man demonstrating the shelling of chestnuts with a very interesting contraption.
the chestnut man and his machine
The chestnuts go in at the top, it swings into action.
and the shells fly everywhere
We made our way back down through the village towards the food and we passed a lovely old gentleman demonstrating basket making with willow branches.
Further on there was a very pretty young girl making pasta.
Then it was lunch time.
An owl watched from above.
We walked back to the car along an old mule track. It was much quicker than following the winding road and I am so used to carrying large bundles, I thought a mule track was most appropriate. Fortunately Heather knew the way. Late afternoon on the mule track was wonderful.
If you have the chance to attend a local festival in Italy, please do. Each one is a bit different and they all have something wonderful to offer. Heather knows about all the festivals in the Bagni di Lucca area. There will be more on her later.
Heather also took me to visit Marzia, who makes cheese. Click here to come along with us.
Take a look at Heather’s website for more information on her tours. http://www.sapori-e-saperi.com