Spettacolo Pirati

It started a few days ago with the black bunting. Then the shops started draping fishing nets around their entrances, and Jolly Rogers started to go up. This, it transpired, was in anticipation of today's event :"In the footsteps of the Black Corsair".

'The Black Corsair' is a novel that is set in the Caribbean but features one Emilio Roccanera, who is, crucially, Lord of Ventimiglia. Our hero throws his lot in with a bunch of pirates and becomes known as The Black Corsair.

(By coincidence, I have just finished reading 'Be More Pirate', which discusses as its central premise how the reputation that history has passed down to us does pirates a disservice. Indeed, they seem to have been an exceptionally democratic bunch.)

Back to Ventimiglia, though, and the Minx had booked us a table on the veranda of a restaurant that overlooks the main street, Via Guiseppe Garibaldi, so that we could watch this evening's celebrations.

And indeed, everyone appeared to be having a blast, possibly due in part to the number of pop-up bars that had materialised over the course of the day. The streets were heaving with people and there was dancing, singing, and even some theatre. All in all, a fine celebration of The Black Corsair!