Festivals

We urgently need a directory of festivals. And I don't mean music festivals like "Glasto" (June 26) or the family friendly "Latitude" in Southwold in Suffolk (July 18). Okay- I guess if you like that sort of thing. And I suppose there are more mature music festivals like "The Big Chill", or the "Larmer Tree", or the one in Portmeirion in Wales. But I was thinking more of the exotic, unusual, characterful, nonsense-fun kind of festival.

Over the years, I've been discouraged gently from running-with-the-bulls in Pamplona in June. (Had hotels booked and all). So my new "bezzie" is "La Tomatina" in Bunol near Valencia- last wednesday in August. (Bunol is famed for it's Paella-yum-yum!).

The big one of course- (dr-e-eee-aaa-mmms) will be the New Orleans Jazz Festival (nojazzfest.com April 26) or the Rio Carnival. For Jazz buffs, Nice puts on a good Jazz Festival in June.

In the meantime- locally- across the water in Ireland- in August is the Galway Oyster Festival.  (Be sure also to venture to Moran's Oyster Cottage in nearby Kilcolgan. In Alba (close to Genoa) in Italy, there's the "White Truffle Festival" (October 1). Imagine Truffles over pasta in the town square! Also in Italy is the interesting "Il Palio" horse-riding race event in Siena (16th July and 16th August). And if you happen to be close by Malmo in Sweden- then savour the Malmo Crayfish festival (August 15-22, www.malmofestivalen.se)

Other local favourites are the Town Crier's festival (there's one close to Liverpool I think). and a few festivals where you roll a big round cheese down a small hill (there's bound to be one near you- otherwise head for Cooper's Hill near Gloucester. www.cheese-rolling.co.uk  (May 27). There's also the "Dieppe Kite Flying Festival"- the world's largest -alternate Septembers- if you are so prone. "Oktoberfest" for beer drinkers in Munich- don't ask when. And of course not forgetting the "International Balloon Festival" in new fave city- Bristol.

Fantastic recently also to read about the Calcot (a kind of Asparagus-shaped onion) festival in Valls (last sunday in January), near Reus -not far from Barcelona in Spain. You learn to peel and eat the roasted Calcots- and wash them down with local red wine from a "purro". Or otherwise eat your Calcots in a "masia"- a traditional farmhouse-style restaurant. Yes please!

Of course, if all else fails- there's always the Chelsea Flower Show (rhs.org.uk, May 21st).

Bye.

Non, Rien de rien by Edith Pilaf

Tracked down the words to this lovely song. Love it so much. Generally love french- and this song is good old fashioned traditional french. Quite simple but cohesive- it holds together well (apart from the chorus). But mostly, like most folk I love the way they r-r-r-r-r- oll thei-r-r-r-r   "R"-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-s.




Non, rien de rien
Non, Je ne regrette rien
Ni le bien qu'on m'a fait
Ni le mal, tout ca me bien egal

Non, rien de rien
Non Je ne regrette rien
C'est paye, balaye, oublie-
Je me fous du passe.



Avec mes souvenirs
J'ai allume des feux
Mes chagrins, mes plaisirs-
Je n'ai plus besoin d'eux

Balayes mes amours,
Avec leurs tremolos
Balayes pour toujours
Je repars a zero



Non, rien de rien
Non je ne regrette rien
Ni le bien qu'on ma fait
Ni le mal, tout ca m'est bien egal

Non, rien de rien
Non, Je ne regrette rien
Car ma vie, car mes joies, aujourd'hui-
Ca commence avec toi.