Culture del Cuneo

I was not the only foreigner to arrive in Cuneo this weekend. On Saturday, people from over 30 nations around the world descended upon Cuneo's main thoroughfare, Via Roma, for the city's annual Culture del Mondo festival.

The street was alive with the sound of international music and the tempting aroma of each country's cuisine, from Bangladesh, to Albania, to China and Brazil.

Thanks to Cuneo's close proximity to my boyfriend's hometown, he was able to join me for the festivities, along with his two friends. We strolled Via Roma before dining at a gorgeous restaurant called San Michele. As we relaxed in the elegantly appointed dining room I could hear the blaring Latin rhythms and loud crowds outside. After a delicious meal and superfluous amounts of wine, we joined the revelers who had clearly spent too much time at Mexico's tequila bar.

Bob Sinclair's Sounds of Freedom competed with the adjacent tent's Bhangra beats, but no one seemed to mind...the dance party was in full swing. Despite all of the buzz, we called it an early night in anticipation of our early morning trekking adventure in the Alpine mountains.