I did it! I did it! And it only took four days ...

Well, I said I would keep trying, and I did. And finally, after four days of frustration well into the early hours of each morning, my little video managed to upload itself onto You Tube.  It's not great - I have a lot to learn - but you can get a general idea.


So, courtesy of that Tube and the tubes of Bedlam Oz - here it is.



Enjoy!

Let's talk Tubes.

More about Artistrada's music - another time.

I could tell you all about the music at the last couple of days of our village 'festa' - which was stunning.  Or about the ventriloquist, who wasn't.  Or about the food, which was yummy, or the drink, which still came in pint glasses and gave me a very bad hangover ... 'Vernaccia' may taste like Ribena but two 'glasses' on one night leaves a terrible kick the next morning.


But no.  Well maybe, later.  But for now I just want to talk about one thing.


Tubes.

Yes, you heard me right and no, I'm not still hung over.  Tubes.


There was a big tube, a medium sized tube and two little tubes.  They started life as very still tubes,  and then they grew.  Not only did they grow, they sucked up small children and handbags...

and at one point took a bit of an unhealthy shine to a very confused Italian gentleman.  They cleaned each other, they rattled when they were amused, they floated across the square like giant silver alien worms.  And then, just when you began to get quite fond of them ...


They became people.  Or to be more precise, they became a family.  

'Bedlam Oz' is a family group from - yes, you guessed it, Australia.  Australia and the UK, to be exact.  Their street performance act was one of the most original either of us had ever seen.  Dressed in what looked like giant air conditioning tubes (they prefer to think of the as 'Slinkies') they have a highly choreographed performance which sees them interacting with the crowd as well as with each other.


They were kind enough afterwards to share their 'spiedini' - kebabs - with us while we were all waiting in the square at midnight for the final 'procession of performers'.  They're a charming group who clearly love working together but, more importantly, love being together.


The act is very hard to describe, apart from saying it's a lot of fun.  I did wonder whether Italian people would enjoy it - and I need not have wondered because, of course, they did.  Italians are always up for a bit of fun and anyway, it's an act which doesn't rely on language, doesn't have any cultural barriers, and appeals to all ages.  What's not to enjoy?  The only person we met who didn't enjoy it was, inevitably, English.  Sad man.


It's so hard to describe what it's like that I made my first foray into the terrible world of You Tube video clips just so I could share this one with you. So far it has taken three days and it's not even close to uploading itself ... I will keep trying though.


So you see, one way or another my life over the last couple of days has been full of ... well ... Tubes.  Life in Italy, whatever else it may be, is never boring.

Our village challenge - learn to sleep in the day and party at night!

The main square starts to liven up at about 9pm.

So the annual 'festa' in Colmurano, the village where we rent a house while we have guests in our own place, has begun.


Called "Pizzagra" locally (on account of the fact that the street food is - yes you guessed it - pizza),  "Artistrada" officially (roughly translated meaning "Art in the Street") and "The International Buskers' Festival" if you want to be really posh, it's actually a brilliant mix of world music and circus which sees the streets of this tiny hilltop village heaving with people from tiny babies to ninety-something year old neighbours.

Even the babies stay out all night!

For four whole days it starts at around 9 at night - earlier if you don't want to have to stand in a massive queue waiting for your pizza - and goes on till everyone goes home at around 4am.


The house we rent is right opposite the main square - great for knowing when everything is starting, not so great of you want to get to sleep before 4am.

Yes - it's a pint of wine. 

What do I like best about it? The immense energy of everyone there (except for me of course - two nights in and I'm fading); the incredibly creative musical talent on show; the circus acts and the looks on the kids' faces watching; the food (naturally); the fact that the wine comes in pint glasses (I kid you not); and maybe most of all this year, the fact that while wandering around loads of local Italian people are coming over for a chat.

A pipe band, Italian style.

And the fact that no matter where you wander in the village you come across music.


The tiny little square which normally has not much other life than the local cat is packed with people watching an Italian pipe band; the staid old town hall has a trapeze act going on in front;  the church in the main square is faced by our friend Carmela's bar doing a bomb selling those pints of wine ...


So.  Off to bed now, in preparation for tonight's fun.  Saturday night - traditionally the most lively of them all.  How can a fifty-something year old possibly stay awake till - probably tonight - 7am?  I'll let you know tomorrow.  I'll definitely be giving it a go.

World music - Senegalese style.