Lazy days in Italy

Yesterday, we had a big Lucca adventure in the second half of the day. Alan took Sarah and I to Vivisports to get shorts and I also got some sneakers and then we walked into Lucca, while Alan headed home to get Marianne and Bess to take them into town. Once we reconnoitered in St. Martin's Square, Bess and I rented bikes to ride the embarkment around the city, which was a ton of fun. Hardly any tourists, all Luccans, walking, riding, sitting, on a beautiful walkway around the central city. Lovely trees and picnic grounds have taken the place of the traditional fortifications. It is wonderful civic space.

After we turned our bikes in to the very friendly shop owner, we went next door to the wine shop to order that nights vintages. We got a white wine Marianne has been liking, a trebbiano from a local winery, and a sangiovese-merlot blend since we were having filette of beef (which is not the same as filet -- more a slice of beef, pan fried). Then, she and I got a cab back to the Casele, barely making it for the 7:30pm appointed time of dinner.

In the meantime, Alan met up with Marianne and Sarah on the Via Fillungo, the main shopping drag. Marianne was in scouting mode and constrained herself to some jewelry, postcards, three shirts for Alan, and a hat for herself. More to come, I am sure.

Today was a lazy day. We hung around the house, playing in the pool with Bess and Sarah and reading poolside. Alan headed over to Pisa to the airport to track down our bags and, as luck would have it, mine had just arrived. Apparently, because of the strike, no Air France flights had come in to Pisa since Saturday. Alan's bag is still awol, however, and, worryingly, has no record in the system. It has lots of identification, though, so we can hope it will show up at home. I was pleased to get the clothes I had bought for the trip but I will say it was disconcerting to look in the closet and see two options for white shirts -- it seems like an embarassment of riches after living on two shirts and a pair of pants.

Tonight, Bess and Sarah took us to dinner at a lovely restaurant on the north side of Lucca, in the hills over looking the city. Locanda Vigna Ilaria serves locally grown food and espouses the values of the slow food movement. We all enjoyed our meals, particularly the insalata mista of fresh local greens and the pasta. Excellent deserts as well.

As the clock ticks 11pm here in Lucca, we are turning in, readying ourselves for a trip to the sea in the morning before putting Sarah and Bess on a train back to Florence and eventually the US.


ilaria vigna