ARE YOU GOING TO SCARBOROUGH FAIR: THE ENGLISH PATIENT MEETS SIMON & GARFUNKEL

Okay, this is not Scarborough Fair, immortalized by Simon and Garfunkel, but it sure is the Ferragosto fair at Liopetri village in Cyprus!

You can see, in the pics, the lovely Madonna church at the village, with magnificent religious art. (It was crowded inside, so I couldn't take more pics). Then, you can see the counters with fresh local produce and goodies, such as the amazing soutzioukkos (σουτζιούκκος), a special Cypriot sweet made with almonds and grapes. Now they make it with carob honey instead of grapes, too.

I love fairs, which remind me of fairy tales and witches. The most beautiful description of a fair in literature is, for me, in The English Patient. This is where Kip, the Sikh Sapper, describes the Ferragosto fair in a village in Italy. Though not a Christian, Kip finds solace in the Virgin Mary church. In Ferragosto, the Italians carry a statue of the Madonna on a truck loaded with grapes all through the village. The statue is rowed in from the sea. This way, Mary will bless both the waters and the vineyards.

There is a beauty and a tragedy in this passage which I find unique. The whole book is both beautiful and tragic.

More about the fair in the next post! Xxx ❤️💖💋💝💄
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