I have to tell you something about my funny weekend. I was at home, in Carinthia, and the
re have been taken place the fifteenth "Gailtaler Speckfest". Maybe some of you have already heard about it as it is quite famous. There come tourists from all parts of Austria and it is really popular in Italy. About a third of the guests are Italian as they love our "Gailtaler Speck".
re have been taken place the fifteenth "Gailtaler Speckfest". Maybe some of you have already heard about it as it is quite famous. There come tourists from all parts of Austria and it is really popular in Italy. About a third of the guests are Italian as they love our "Gailtaler Speck".It takes place every year on the first weekend of June in Hermagor which is in the south of Carinthia. There are about seventy stands where people from our valley and also from other parts of Carinthia present their deliciousnesses. As you would expect the "Gailtaler Speck" is the thing which comes to the fore but also cheese, wine and home-made schnaps are important parts of the festival. Most of the presenters (is it the correct word for "Austeller"?) are farmers who live in our valley.
One of the most important meals on the festival is probably the so-called "Frigga" which is made of potatoes, onions, Speck and cheese. It is served with polenta and is really favoured. But you have to be very careful: As it is extremely fatty you can get an awful stomachache if you eat too much! Believe me, I speak from my own experience! :-)
The festival starts on Saturday at ten o'clock with the traditional "first cut" of a huge Speck.
During the whole weekend there are bands from Carinthia, Italy and Slovenia who make particularly folksy music. Furthermore there are different light entertainment programmes for children and also some raffles for the young and the young at heart.
During the whole weekend there are bands from Carinthia, Italy and Slovenia who make particularly folksy music. Furthermore there are different light entertainment programmes for children and also some raffles for the young and the young at heart.
This year it was the culinary aim for thousands of visitors who bought about five tons of Speck and 3,000 salami which is quite a lot.
On Saturday I visited the festival and we had a lot of fun there. So, if you have never been there until now you have to come to Carinthia next year, I think it is really well worth seeing. It is a different sort of festival but a special one. :-)
On this picture you can see some "important" persons from our valley, like the governing mayor of Hermagor, during the famous "first-cut" of the Speck which opens up the festival officially.
