Hello, I am Judy Sale, an artist and property restorer living here in Triora as well. My friend, Nadya, a Russian lady living here too, kindly asked me if I would like to write something on her blog. Being somewhat more ’senior’ than Nadya, I didn’t really know how to do this - and still don’t - but I thought it was a fun idea to write something about my life here in Triora.

It is a lovely medieval village as Nadya has already said, but it is unique in that it attracts only unique people. If you are not unique and prefer packaged tours, cruises, and all things measured and evaluated before you encounter a country, read no further.

On the other hand, if you like to live a full and individual life that you carve out for yourself, you might be intrigued to know more about this lovely secret place that scares off the mundane and welcomes those who actually have something to contribute - who welcome change rather than cringe at the mere thought.

Oh dear, I sound radical already and I am not! I just like to explore new places ‘my way’ and get to know interesting ‘non packaged’ people. I also have some beautiful properties for sale here in Triora that are or will be finished to the same (or better) standard than those required by  the ‘packaged’. After all, I don’t think you have to live in a hut and wear ‘Jesus shoes’ to be different. My properties offer the same creature comforts as those found in the ‘rat race’, I just don’t have to listen to ‘rat race’ people problems because I have friends here who have had the guts to opt out of that.

I think that is enough (basta! - in Italian!) for one night. Let’s see what poor Nadya thinks about my submission so far - after all, it is her blog!

• Triora: mushroom festival. Hope they’ll be better than sausages!
• Perinaldo: observations of the Sun and solar meridian in the church close to the observatory

• Perinaldo: excursion to St Giusta at 15:00, from 16:30 to 21:30 observations of the sky with a telescope

• Badalucco: fest of stockfish goes on

• Badalucco: fest of stockfish
• Perinaldo: at 17:30 free excursion (about 2 hours). At 21:00 observations of the Andromeda galaxy and Mars

• Badalucco: opening of a painting excibition
• Castellaro: fest of Virgin Mary of Lampedusa goes on
• Ceriana: dancing with “Mariella Group”
• Creppo: fest of Virgin Mary’s nativity (aha! that’s why there are so many Madonna-related things around yesterday and today!)
• Glori: fest of Virgin Mary of Lourdes. At 10:00 procession and Holy Mass, at 21:00 another procession - with torches
• Molini di Triora: sagra of snails goes on
• Montalto: dancing with “Mamma Funk”
• Seborga: fest of polenta and wild boar, and excursion to the nearby forest

It seems to be the birthday of Virgin Mary?

• Carpasio: fest of Virgin Mary of Ciazzima (a place about 2 kms from Carpasio), and afterwards petanque
• Castellaro: fest of Virgin Mary of Lambedusa. This is really strange, because Lampedusa is an island in the south of Italy, almost in Africa - what does it have in common with Castellaro?
• Ceriana: fest of Virgin Mary and then a concert
• Glori: at 10:30 Holy Mass, at 16:00 procession, at 21:00 artists from Montalto perform a comedy
• Molini di Triora: thanks to Virgin Mary, no Virgin Mary here. Sagra of snail! The only problem with snails is that I don’t like the way they are cooked here: in a salty tomato sauce, without green butter
• Montalto: at 21:00 guitar concert

• Ceriana: concert of the local choir

• Triora: the start of Murder Weekend. Hope Joy Swift will be here! (incognito, of course)
• Ceriana: night religious procession (with torches!)

• Carpasio: celebration of St. Antonino, including bicycle race and football game
• Cogolin: the fest of cock continues
• Glori: fest for children at 15:00
• Molini di Triora: a long walk through Aigovo, Bracca, Gavano
• Montalto: guitar concert at 21:00

• Andagna: sagra of venison and polenta at 20:30, then dancing
• Carpasio: comic performance (in the ligurian dialect) by Montalto actors “Vegliu sci, ma scemu na”, the same as in Triora a month ago
• Ceriana: dancing with “Baronetti del Liscio”
• Cogolin: fest of cocks (don’t get me wrong please!). More info here: http://www.cogolin-provence.com
• Perinaldo: observations of Jupiter, Moon, galaxy of Andromeda

• Badalucco: open-air cinema at 21:00

• Carpasio: sagra della carpasina. Carpasio: sagra della carpasina. Yet again, I have no idea of what it means, except for the name of the local river
• Ceriana: mountain soldiers celebrate something
• Perinaldo: observations of the Sun from 16 till 19
• Seborga: local group Buio Pesto playing

• Andagna: 20:30 local dishes, 22:00 disco
• Carpasio: football play and rock band “Doc G”
• Castellaro: comedy by Moliere “The doctor inspite of himself”
• Ceriana: performance by local theatre
• Seborga: medieval dinner

• Badalucco: open air cinema, “The Devil wears Prada” (21:00, Piazzetta del Parroco)
• Ceriana: open air cinema (here again)
• Cervo: Ferhan and Ferzan Onder playing two pianos (Rimsky-Corsacov, Rakhmaninoff, Ziegler, Liszt)

• The only thing that happens today is dedicated to children. Children’s holiday in Carpasio, from 10 to 18

• Cervo: quartets performed by “Quartetto di Venezia” (Mozart, Bartok, Schumann). Piazza dei Corallini, 21:30
• Perinaldo: observations of Moon, Jupiter etc. (21:30)

• Perinaldo: observations of the stars, Jupiter, Moon etc. (21:30, observatory)
• Seborga: charity evening on behalf of congregation of St. Martino

• Triora: Strigora - 2007! This word actually does not exist, it is made of “strega” (witch) and Triora. So, what’s going on?
  • a medieval market (actually, it already started )
  • giving to a nameless square the name of Michele Rossi, the first researcher of Triora’s witches
  • at 12:00 in the “Boschetto” there’s a concert by “Nuova Academia Musicale”
  • at 14:00 and 16:30 there are free guided tours (with Giancarlo as a guide, I suppose)
  • at 15:00 and 17:00 - ethnic music (”Paranza del Geco”, “An comunn Mor”, “Iain Marr Trio”
  • 16:00 - Theatre of the Moon performs a play for children “Draghi, Draghi”
  • at 17:00 there will be a presentation of a new book by Elena Vesnaver about witches in the Friuli region (north eastern Italy)
  • 18:00, San Dalmazio - presentation about witches in literature
  • 19:00, Boschetto - “Rosa Tatuata” plays rock classics
  • 21:30 another open air play, “Witches in white and black”
• Ceriana: grilled sausages. Hope they’ll be better than the ones in Triora!..
• Molini di Triora: a guided ecological walking tour
• Montalto: sagra della frandura (I don’t know what it is! no idea!)
• Verdegga: celebration of mountain soldiers

• Ceriana: sausages and music, with “Nota Libera”
• Glori: celebration of Madonna of Lourdes

• Perinaldo: observations of stars and planets (observatorium, 21:30)
• Seborga: dancing with “Primavera” orchestra (”The Spring”)