Trequanda ‘borgo in bloom’

For the event of the First Communion of the children of the borgo Trequanda, the streets are decorated with flowers, petals and leaves.

A moveable feast that I’ve been waiting so long to photograph – I just kept on missing it in the last couple of years.  Lasting only a couple of hours (the floral display) it’s a morning thing at the beginning of June.  I was keeping my eye on the progress of the Broom blossoms at the house and knew that we were close to time but fortunately the very lovely Enrico (resident at Home Tuscany on the first floor) called last night to tell Malvin ‘La signora vuoleva sapere quando mettevano i fiori nel centro storico: e dommattina alle undici’  –  it was happening this morning!  So, following a quick trip out to collect emergency coffee beans for Malvin’s breakfast I grabbed the camera and rushed out, perfectly in time to see the finishing touches being added to the display and the local people coming out to admire their neighbour’s work (and their own)…The most suggestivo part of the event would surely be capturing the set-up!

Chatting with a lovely Canadian couple who were in the area on a cycling holiday I informed them proudly ‘you’re so lucky to be right here right now! this is a rare event’ feeling sure that it had not been ‘on’ in the last couple of years; I explained that I had been waiting to photograph this and was delighted to have caught it this year.  It’s so brief – being prepared during the morning and lasting as long as the wind stays low and the residents tend to it (sweeping in the wind-blown petals and misting them to keep them stuck down) – only ‘used’ for moments when the children walk the floral path to church with the priest.