The Gypsy Festival called Mercantia, Certaldo, Italia

I need to say first up, that nothing that I am about to write will ever completely explain how mind blowing this festival was...

Certaldo is an old medieval walled city on top of a hill overlooking the glorious Tuscan countryside, and once every year the narrow cobbled streets of the city are flooded with people who come to attend Mercantia, a gypsy festival that takes place here. We arrived in the early evening and walked around looking at the different stalls and shows. The town is very much like one would see recreated in movies of medieval Europe, with the little apartments one on top each other, identical green shutters and old walls built of crude stone. We watched the sunset from one of the parapets of the castle with cold beers.

At about ten o'clock there was an entire transformation of the place. Suddenly we were shoulder to shoulder with people, and a balkan band with drums, trumpets, trombones and saxophones appeared and began playing the most entertaining music I've ever heard. They led a procession through the streets and people followed like the children of the Pied Piper, waving their hands and bouncing along in this euphoric state, simply spurred on by the music.

There were contortionists and magic shows, incredible leather crafts and ceramic artwork, and food and wine as far as the eye could see. At one stage, the entire street was a blaring red colour as masked drummers and dancers came marching down on stilts, wearing hats and outrageously coloured clothing. The crowd tossed a massive white balloon through the narrow corridors and there was just happiness everywhere. Simply a once in a lifetime experience...

Gallo Nero, the symbol of Chianti Classico, a great story which I must explain in a post

Francesco, Marike, Alma and I

The Balkan Band