The Truffle Festival at San Giovani d'Asso

Every year the small town of San Giovani d'Asso holds a truffle festival over two weekends. This year the weather was sunny and very hot and there were lots of people attending. There is a special train from Siena which comes for the event and is hauled by a steam engine with six very old, third class, wooden seated carriages - and the passengers have spent nearly three hours on the train as it makes it's way through Tuscany.

The steam train from Siena rolls into San Giovani station.

There were a number of people in period costume on the train, who had been playing in a band on the train - some are seen here posing by the engine.

Much as I appreciate steam engines, this would have been a very hot, dirty & uncomfortable trip for the crew.

A local company producing high quality olive oil runs a pop-up restaurant for the festival. We had lunch there and sat right by the chefs. Here one is seen grating truffle onto a dish of pasta - and very good it was too!