Pavia:the traditional "Ticino Festival"

Every year Pavia says goodbye to summer by organising the so called "Festa del Ticino"(Ticino Festival);last Sunday 80 thousands people joined this amazing event.It always takes place on the banks of Ticino river which divides the town in two parts connected by the "Ponte Coperto/Vecchio"(Covered/Old bridge).This building dates back to the Roman age and its importance was vital especially for trade exchanges.Unfortunately,as many old natives of Pavia (like my grandparents) remember,it was bombed during the 2nd World War and rebuilt in 1951.Many artists depict the beautiful landscape you can see from the bridge,while photographers and tourists usually take lots of pictures,especially at sunset.Lately lovers get used to closing a padlock marked with their names,throwing the key in the river and swearing eternal love... All around the bridge there is a park called "Vul";in the past many people worked there:washerwomen(there is still a statue representing one of them),fishers...Nowadays it's a place of entertainment where you can sun-bathe,take a nap,have a snack or if you like sports you can go canoeing.During the "Ticino Festival" lots of stalls coming from all over Italy and Europe(Germany,France,England,Greece,Holland..)settle near the river and sell their local products.Last Sunday 20 thousands people met there,buying different manufactured articles and tasting typical foods;in the afternoon the crowd was entertained by a parachutists' show at the "Vul" area.Unfortunately the amazing fireworks expected for the evening had to be postponed because of the bad weather.However everyone enjoyed this traditional event and look forward to celebrate it the next year!