I was sort of missing an all-American Fourth of July, so fortunately the July 5th "Festa Country" in Stresa more than filled that need. With all the plaid shirts, cowboy hats, and boots that everyone was wearing, both visitors and the shopkeepers, waiters, and vendors alike, it was actually difficult to remember that this was Stresa I was walking through! And then add line dancing and a mechanical bull, and the illusion became pretty complete.

The gorgeous weather didn't hurt any either. We stayed out in the town all through lunch, and then again through the evening. Almost all of the shops were adorned with bales of hay and "country" decorations. Country music played everywhere.

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Streets and buildings were lined with American and Italian flags...

And then there was some type of birra gelato (beer gelato); I'm not exactly sure what that was about and didn't find out. 

 John Wayne was a popular motif. Here, he says to a young woman, "Hey Babe, you want to go for a ride on my horse?" And she responds, "No John, I stay here in Stresa at the Festa Country!" Off to the right, another photo op; this time your face in a "Wanted" poster.

In the evening the activity really picked up. We had dinner at Caffe Torino, where the special was steak with bacon, onion rings, and french fries. And beer, of course. 

The DJ got the crowd ready...

People waited early for a good seat. Wait... where am I again? Stresa or Texas?

 And when the sun set, the dancing started!

 

 And some brave people took their turns on the mechanical bull. We heard that cheering until late into the evening...

 All in all, it seems that Stresiani and visitors alike all enjoyed enormously this Festa Country, and I really enjoyed these somewhat familiar things; I didn't know how much I missed nachos and beer until today!

This above is nachos and beer Italian style btw -- love the olives!! :-)