October in this part of Italy is (unoffically) the month of the Chestnut. They are falling out of the trees like rain then and since Italy is the best in the world (possibly tied with the Germans) for festivals celebrating food, it would follow that a tiny village called Mezzomonte (translation: "halfway up the mountain") would host the Castagna (Chestnut) Festival. Luckily for us, Mezzomonte is just a 20-minute drive down the mountain highway and another 20-minute drive up the side of the mountain. It was a beautiful afternoon but by the time we made it up to the festival, the cold mist had started coming down the mountain. But the roasted Chestnuts and their products: Chestnut coffee, Chestnut beer, and various Chestnut baked goods, warmed us. Alas, after all this, we discovered a general feeling of dislike for La Castagna (except for Steve who likes everything, so his vote is not counted, since he is an outlier in all food surveys). But it was a lovely afternoon in a beautiful old town halfway up the mountain!
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