It seems that most Italians can dance, and do so at every opportunity…old people, not so old people, quite young people and children love to get on a dance floor and enjoy themselves…and I love to watch them.
It is especially lovely to watch couples who have been dancing together for years and move beautifully together…there should be more of it. The photos are a bit blurry, these people were really moving.
The actual reason for being in Filecchio, a lovely village not far from Bagni di Lucca, was not the dancing, but to enjoy some delicious stinco di maiale, roast pork shank.
What a good idea to dedicate an evening to roast pork shanks. There were a few extras, potato chips, polenta, pasta and beans, but the star of the evening was stinco di maiale…I know it is an unfortunate name, but it tastes great.
I went with Heather from Sapori-e-Saperi…she knows all the best places. Now I just need some dancing lessons.
Filecchio holds several dinners and sagras over the summer. Call 3427599862 for information.
Delicious and lots of fun!
By: mulino dominillo on June 5, 2013
at 5:03 am
I love evenings like this!
By: Debra Kolkka on June 6, 2013
at 8:42 pm
Oh yum. This is the sort of thing I would like to experience in Italy.
By: Kirsi sade on June 5, 2013
at 5:24 am
You should come for a couple of months and really become locals for a while.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 6, 2013
at 8:42 pm
Oh boy, that looks like such fun! And, good eating as a bonus.
By: ytaba36 on June 5, 2013
at 5:44 am
I love the way everyone joins in for a good time.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 6, 2013
at 8:43 pm
The next ‘Stinco di Maiale al Forno’ dinner is on 4 September. The ‘Sagra Polenta e Uccelli’ dinners (polenta and pheasant — not song birds) are on the last weekend of August and the first two of September. Dancing at all of them. There’s still time to book your flight and practise your two-step!
By: Heather Jarman on June 5, 2013
at 5:49 am
Thank you for the extra information.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 6, 2013
at 8:41 pm
Love la festa in Italy
By: Italian Wine Importers on June 5, 2013
at 6:02 am
There are lots of lovely feste in Italy to enjoy.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 6, 2013
at 8:44 pm
Those pork shanks would be just perfect on a cold Australian winter day like today! Just looking at all that meat just about falling off the bones all ready for eating and slurping is making my mouth water……!! Love the idea of doing the two-step to work off all those calories. Great to watch the Italians enjoying themselves.
By: Sandra Hoopmann on June 5, 2013
at 6:57 am
The pork shanks are good any day…very delicious.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 6, 2013
at 8:45 pm
Dance lessons should be on every school curriculum!
By: Francis on June 5, 2013
at 8:14 am
I agree wholeheartedly.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 6, 2013
at 8:45 pm
I agree with Francis. Bring on the dance lessons. As for those pork shanks they do look good. Are they as delicious as our oven roasted lamb shanks. ?
By: Dianne Cant on June 5, 2013
at 8:30 am
They are every bit as delicious as our lamb shanks.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 6, 2013
at 8:46 pm
The pork shanks looks delectable! And what a better way to work it off than dancing 🙂
By: Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella on June 5, 2013
at 8:49 am
I can think of no better way than a few spins on the dance floor.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 6, 2013
at 8:47 pm
Definitely an event my wife and I would enjoy!
By: aFrankAngle on June 5, 2013
at 10:42 am
Clearly you need to come back to Italy soon.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 6, 2013
at 8:47 pm
🙂
By: aFrankAngle on June 6, 2013
at 11:53 pm
Good food and dancing…what a fun time. The pork looks delicious.
By: Karen on June 5, 2013
at 1:19 pm
It was a great evening, the pork was delicious and it was fun to watch the dancing.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 6, 2013
at 8:48 pm
How sweet. The best of Italy.
By: jann on June 5, 2013
at 2:37 pm
One of the reasons I like to spend several months a year in Italy is that you get to join in lots of these great events, which would be difficult to track down on a short trip.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 6, 2013
at 8:50 pm
I love pork shank and I love that Heather is really in the know about all the wonderful events happening in the area.
By: paninigirl on June 5, 2013
at 3:20 pm
She finds all the best things to do.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 6, 2013
at 8:50 pm
Sounds like a wonderful way to spend a lazy Sunday.
By: Doreen on June 5, 2013
at 4:18 pm
It was certainly a fun evening.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 6, 2013
at 8:52 pm
Our area has already started with the local sagra too. I do love this season and you can smell the grigliate for miles around. Lovely to see all those older sassy couples and I can’t dance either!
By: Catherine on June 5, 2013
at 6:50 pm
I can actually dance , I just don’t have a partner who can.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 6, 2013
at 8:53 pm
Gorgeous dance pics, and that food looks scrumptious. 🙂
By: adinparadise on June 6, 2013
at 7:39 am
Dinner and dancing…great combination.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 6, 2013
at 8:53 pm
Charming! Just charming! The Italians have a way of embracing life and enjoying it in a slow and lovely way. Evenings like this are exactly why we intend to move there and experience for ourselves. Thanks for sharing!
By: Bev on June 6, 2013
at 1:12 pm
I hope you find some lovely local events to enjoy.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 6, 2013
at 8:54 pm
We happened on a festa evening in Certaldo Alto a few years back, where the locals were all dancing on a little piazza with fixed seating around the edge. It was so moving that I could not keep still, desperate to join in and knowing that I wouldn’t have a clue what to do! So I stomped and clapped until I was exhausted. My man had quietly disapeared to the bar!
By: June Finnigan on June 10, 2013
at 4:38 pm
The music was provided by an accordion player and a singer and they were very good. I would love to have had someone to dance with.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 10, 2013
at 7:28 pm
This looks like a perfect evening!
By: Victoria on June 10, 2013
at 11:18 pm
Was this part of a slow cooking festival or just a regular village get-together? Terrific how everybody joins in. I remember that from the Italian weddings when I was a kid. Such unselfconscious enjoyment of everyday life.
By: The Wanderlust Gene on June 12, 2013
at 4:22 am
It was just a regular get together. I also like the way everyone joins in…including teenagers.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 12, 2013
at 9:10 am