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SPRING AHOY - EVENTS MAY 2012

Tuesday May 1 - Workers' day in Sant'Angelo Scalo near Montalcino
The month starts full speed with a festival in Montalcino. No, not Brunello tasting (again!), but donkey races and anything else that will make sure you and your kids spend a fun international workers' day in Tuscany. 
The festival can be reached on a steam train from Siena (read my post should you be interested in this or other festivals paired with steam train traveling). 

 Saturday May 5 - Italian Folk Music at Sant'Antimo Abbey
A wonderful concert in an enchanting location: the male SAT choir singers will  present their latest program of Italian folk songs at Sant'Antimo Abbey near Montalcino. A video and the detailed program can be found on our Montalcino Blog.

Rather go for some trekking?

This spring's Tuscany walking festival continues with two more dates in the Tuscan Archipelago National Park: 
May 1- trekking, broad beans and Pecorino cheese on the Isle of Giglio. 
May 6 - spring festival and guided walks on the Isle of Giannutri. 
Click here for program and booking of the Walking Festival. 
Saturday and Sunday May 5/6 - San Vincenzo, Tutti Pazzi per la Palamita
The palamita (Atlantic bonito) is a fish of the Mediterranean sea which belongs to the tuna and mackerel family. The fact that the Tuscan sea palamita has its own Slow Food Presidium says a lot about the historic and nutritional importance of this fish. Call it a poor people's fish - if you know how  to cook it, it's just delicious. A weekend in San Vincenzo will make sure you'll be able to try endless varieties of the atlantic bonito - grilled, steamed or under oil. 
Beautiful photos and more details on the event by food blogger Emiko Davies on Honest Cooking. And if you can't come to town, you may want to try  and prepare it yourself. Talented Giulia from Jul's Kitchen knows how to pair palamita with Tuscany's extra virgin olive oil. 

And as much as I love palamita - I'll have to be true to my Tuscan village and spend the first May weekend walking the splendid hills of my Tuscan 'hometown'. The yearly trekking takes place on the first weekend of May (Saturday for kids, Sunday for adults), whereas the month is finished of with 'wine and bike on the last Sunday of May. For more info read on here: Trekking in Cinigiano. 

Saturday 19th of May - Mille Miglia Rally
The famous oldtimer car race (from Brescia to Rome and back) will come through Tuscany on the 19th of May. Amateur photographers will want to hang out in the Val d'Orcia or Crete Senesi on the morning to catch the amazing cars going by in front of some stunning scenery. My favorite place to cheer on the drivers is whilst having Cappuccino in Buonconvento's beautiful old town. Cars will be coming in some when between 10am an 1pm. 

May 26/27 large scale aeromodel on the loose at Monte Argentario Polo Club Now I wouldn't have dreamt of going here, but too late: my seven year old son has already seen this video on the aeromodel club website. 
May 26/28 - MAREMMA WINE & FOOD SHIRE
Had enough of airplane model acrobatics? Let's move on and taste some Southern Tuscan wine. I normally drink my neighbor's wines at home, but if you want to have a try too, make sure you check in at the Maremma wine and food shire. The event has joined the food and wine leg (before they used to be run in two separate events) and now take over Grosseto's exposition space all in one go.
Maremma Wine & Food Shire: Saturday 4.30pm - 10.30pm, Sunday from 10.30am-10.30pm, Monday 10.30am-6.30pm

 May 25/27 - FESTA DEI PARCHI - National Park Celebration Day
To celebrate the invention of national parks (the first national park in Europe was founded in Sweden in 1909), the Maremma National Park together with the Region of Tuscany organizes several events this May. Most of the events are for free, so if you travel Tuscany on a shoestring, you may want to sign up for some free horseback riding along the stunning national park beaches   or for free canoeing on the river Ombrone. I also love the idea of the organised bike ride through the park on Sunday (partly on roads that can't be accessed normally). Bring your own bicycle or rent one in Alberese's town center (8-10 Euro per bike per day). Any bike goes, so don't worry about having to ship over your MTB. By the end of the day, there will be a free wine tasting in town accompanied by Gigetto del Bicchiere, a Tuscan folk music group. 

May 20-22 and 27-29 - Sagra della Fragola (strawberry festival), Marsiliana
May is strawberry season in Tuscany - and Marsiliana in the most Southern Tip of the region spends two weekends preparing the fruit in every way you can think of. Food stalls, plus an artisan market on the second weekend and a big firework to call it a day on Sunday 29th. 






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