Three Sagras in One Weekend

Sagra della Sardella -- Trieste

Saturday night we went to the Sagra della Sardella to see Lorenzo Pilat do his last gig of the summer. If you haven't seen him yet, try to catch him while you can. Everyone knows that Triestini have a pact with the devil as far as longevity, but Pilat is 79 and still playing his one-man show and singing everyone's favorites: Tram d'Opcina, Finanziere, etc. I don't know how long he can keep it up...

The Sagra della Sardella has changed locations over the years. It started out having something to do with actual water (Sardella is a fish after all) but it didn't last on the Rive for long. When I went for the first time a few years ago it was already in the outskirts of town at Campanelle. Now it is held on the Horse track (Ippodromo), which is an odd place for a Sagra, but it's not a bad location after all. There is lots of space and parking is easier. The food is good and the prices are fair. The wine isn't great, but you get what you pay for.

Festa del Pescatore -- Santa Croce

It was a lazy Sunday and we weren't sure what to do after lunch. In the end we went to Santa Croce to a mini-sagra celebrating its fishing heritage. Santa Croce was the only fishing village in the Carso (it looks down over the Filtri, if you like to go to the beach in the less crowded areas). They had activities for kids and a tug of war competition between folks from the inland part of the village and those looking over the sea. I am not sure who won because I was back in the giardinetto eating and drinking. There was a nice selection of fried seafood and a surprising plate with a grilled tuna steak, boiled potatoes and veggies. I found a veggie option: Capuzzi and Fasoi (my favorite). They also had fried zucchini and eggplant. The food was yummy and not too expensive and the wine was local.

Sagra di Prosecco -- Prosecco

On the way home we stopped at the Sagra in Prosecco where some of the guys working on my house were camping out and working from Friday- Sunday night slinging Civapcici by day and partying by night. I wasn't sure what they had to do with Prosecco because normally the people who live in the village that is holding the Sagra organize the weekend of events with proceeds going to their cultural association. Churches also hold Sagras.

This sagra was different, however. When we got there we saw that it was organized by the TLT or the Triestine Independence Movement.  So there was lots of talk of the good old days when it was the Free Territory of Trieste. The food was typical Sagra food: Meat and french fries, Palacinke (crepes), and beer and wine.

The highlight of the Prosecco sagra was music in Triestine and a set by DJ Zippo, who basically holds a sagra-wide aerobics class. Everyone gets into it and does the synchronised dances of the summer. Super fun.