San Cristoforo at Barga
Medieval lane in Barga
Alabaster window in San Cristoforo
Tribute to the next President in Barga window
One of the smaller yachts at Viareggio
Peek inside a Viareggio workshop
Dewy spiderweb seen on Sunday marcia
"Watch" dog watching Sunday marcia
My apologies for taking a bit of an extended vacation from posting to the blog. That said, here is a recap of the last six days.
Last Thursday afternoon we went to the train station in Lucca to pick up friends Kim and Rachel. Somewhat to our surprise they turned up on time. If you have been following their blog (about their year living in the Italian city of Alessandria) you know that they have had some interesting adventures using the Italian train system. We put their luggage in our car and moved the vehicle to better parking before commencing our tour of Lucca.
We took them on our usual route through the town—a bit of a walk along the walls, the church of San Frediano, the old Roman anfiteatro, a walk along via Fillungo, the church of San Michele, Piazza Grande and the cathedral of San Martino. The weather was cool and there was a spritz of rain from time to time. Nonetheless, we had a good time wandering the winding streets of Lucca and getting to know one another. We had not previously met face to face although we had been exchanging emails since last spring. A mutual friend had suggested Kim and Rachel pick our brains when they decided to spend a year in Italy.
Our tour was supposed to finish with a visit to the archeological museum under one of the deconsecrated churches in town. We had heard good things about the exhibit and were disappointed to find that it was closed on Thursdays and Fridays from November 1 to the end of March. With that option nixed, we strolled back to the car and went back to the house.
A stop at the enoteca (wine store) to refill our 3 liter jug with red wine, as usual, proved quite popular. Our guests always get a kick out of going into the back room and seeing the jug get filled from a giant stainless steel tank by a nozzle that greatly resembles a gas pump feed. They usually get an even bigger kick out of the price--€1.30 per liter or €3.90 to fill our jug which it the equivalent of 4 bottles!
The four of us had dinner at Il Mulin della Volpe, one of our favorite local restaurants. Having nibbled on salami, cheese, olives and peanuts, along with some of the jug of wine, Kim, Rachel and I only had bowls of tortelli along with mixed salad. Tortelli is the local specialty—pasta meat filling topped with a tomato and meat sauce. It is very filling and very yummy.
The next day, Friday, we took Kim and Rachel to see the medieval Devil’s Bridge at Borgo a Mozzano and the medieval town of Barga. We lunched at a pizzeria in Fornaci di Barga before deciding not to continue on up the valley. Instead, we went to Marlia to the frantoio where we showed Kim and Rachel how the olives became oil. Our friends Mary and Orlando were there will another load of olives which were just about finished. We went to a nearby bar for a drink before heading back to Partigliano. We ate dinner at home that evening before going up to the mattress “festival” at the old school in the village.
The previous Sunday, at the marcia podistica, our friend Erina had urged us to come to una festa del materasso (a mattress party) at 9 p.m. the following Friday. Near as I could tell from what she told me was that it was a benefit for Unione Sportivo di Partigliano, the local walking group, and they needed a minimum number of people to receive the honorarium from the salesman. The whole idea confused me so much that I specifically asked Erina if we were talking about mattresses for beds. Yes, mattresses for beds she confirmed. We were not obligated to buy anything she assured us and there would be food and drink afterwards.
So, after dinner the four of us trooped up the hill to the old school (not used since well before we bought our house) where we found ourselves in a room with between forty and fifty local people. Up at the front was a single bed sitting on top of a couple of tables. What ensued was a spirited presentation by the salesman of all the virtues of the foam mattress, the slatted platform (that is used in Europe instead of a box spring), the pillow, the wool mattress cover, wool pillow cover and the wool and satin coverlet. A matrimoniale (double) version with all the bells and whistles could be yours for only €4,000.00!
The whole thing reminded me a great deal of a Tupperware party. However, the biggest surprise of the evening was that the U.S.P. received a donation of €500 from the salesman. Apparently this is how the company sells its products. They have no stores and do no advertising. The bed certainly seemed like good product but at that price I can handle an lesser mattress.
Kim and Rachel, as well as Dom and I, thought the whole thing quite hilarious. We did not stay long after the presentation was over (it took at least an hour and a half) and as the four of us picked our way down the hill we compared impressions of an unforgettable evening. Our guests definitely thought it was the highlight of their visit.
The next morning, Saturday, we dropped Kim and Rachel off at the train station where they planned to continue on to Umbria for several more days of touring. If you want to read more about their Italian adventures check out their blog at http://lifeinalessandria.blogspot.com/.
The weather had improved a great deal so Dom and I drove over to Viareggio along the coast. We parked in the port area and checked out a few of the mega-yachts berthed there. After a stop at a store for Dom to buy some wrenches and a stop at a bar for another coffee, we wandered through the streets where the boatbuilders have their factories and shops. Even though it was Saturday many of them were working and it was fun to peek in the doorways and see what was happening. I was struck by the number of bicycles and mopeds propped just inside the doorways. I remarked to Dom that it was nice of the businesses to provide “employee parking.”
Back in the car, we meandered around the Viareggio area for a while and stopped for pizza on the way home. That evening we, along with Mary and Orlando, went to Bob and Joy’s house for Cajun food. They fed us a delicious dinner of corn chowder, shrimp po’ boys, cole slaw and praline cake with ice cream. It was another wonderful evening with good friends.
Sunday morning Dom and I got up early and went to the marcia podistica at Casabianca. Unfortunately, Bridget the G.P.S. did not know where the town was located so we wandered around for a while before we found it. The fog that rolled in did not help matters but a stop at a bar helped. It was a bitterly cold morning so Dom and I walked briskly but it was near the end of 5 kilometers before I really felt warm.
Back at home I went to mass at the village church and was joined by Bob and Joy. The church near their house no longer holds mass and they had been going into Lucca on Sundays. It was Remembrance Day, for the end of World War I, so after mass a wreath was laid on the village war memorial. I invited Bob and Joy to join us for breakfast and when the sun came out we ended up eating our scrambled eggs and scones on the patio.
After they left I took my book outside for a while longer but even before the sun sank behind the hill the temperature plummeted. Even on the nicest days the nights have been quite cool. Most mornings we turn on the heat for a while. If we are home during the day we often have a fire. However, the wood we are using is not great so it is often a struggle to get it going and keep it going.
Yesterday was another beautiful, warm day. Dom and I both got some outdoor chores done but we also managed some relaxation including reading on the patio in the sunshine. With our departure from Italy two weeks from yesterday and lots of activities scheduled for our return to Whidbey Island we are trying to make the most of the rest of our stay. Since all our “to dos” have been completed we are taking the opportunity to do what we want. Tomorrow we are going to Florence for the day to celebrate my birthday by just to wandering around and having lunch. On Friday I plan to join Mary and Joy for a girls’ day in Lucca.
More tomorrow or Thursday…
Last Thursday afternoon we went to the train station in Lucca to pick up friends Kim and Rachel. Somewhat to our surprise they turned up on time. If you have been following their blog (about their year living in the Italian city of Alessandria) you know that they have had some interesting adventures using the Italian train system. We put their luggage in our car and moved the vehicle to better parking before commencing our tour of Lucca.
We took them on our usual route through the town—a bit of a walk along the walls, the church of San Frediano, the old Roman anfiteatro, a walk along via Fillungo, the church of San Michele, Piazza Grande and the cathedral of San Martino. The weather was cool and there was a spritz of rain from time to time. Nonetheless, we had a good time wandering the winding streets of Lucca and getting to know one another. We had not previously met face to face although we had been exchanging emails since last spring. A mutual friend had suggested Kim and Rachel pick our brains when they decided to spend a year in Italy.
Our tour was supposed to finish with a visit to the archeological museum under one of the deconsecrated churches in town. We had heard good things about the exhibit and were disappointed to find that it was closed on Thursdays and Fridays from November 1 to the end of March. With that option nixed, we strolled back to the car and went back to the house.
A stop at the enoteca (wine store) to refill our 3 liter jug with red wine, as usual, proved quite popular. Our guests always get a kick out of going into the back room and seeing the jug get filled from a giant stainless steel tank by a nozzle that greatly resembles a gas pump feed. They usually get an even bigger kick out of the price--€1.30 per liter or €3.90 to fill our jug which it the equivalent of 4 bottles!
The four of us had dinner at Il Mulin della Volpe, one of our favorite local restaurants. Having nibbled on salami, cheese, olives and peanuts, along with some of the jug of wine, Kim, Rachel and I only had bowls of tortelli along with mixed salad. Tortelli is the local specialty—pasta meat filling topped with a tomato and meat sauce. It is very filling and very yummy.
The next day, Friday, we took Kim and Rachel to see the medieval Devil’s Bridge at Borgo a Mozzano and the medieval town of Barga. We lunched at a pizzeria in Fornaci di Barga before deciding not to continue on up the valley. Instead, we went to Marlia to the frantoio where we showed Kim and Rachel how the olives became oil. Our friends Mary and Orlando were there will another load of olives which were just about finished. We went to a nearby bar for a drink before heading back to Partigliano. We ate dinner at home that evening before going up to the mattress “festival” at the old school in the village.
The previous Sunday, at the marcia podistica, our friend Erina had urged us to come to una festa del materasso (a mattress party) at 9 p.m. the following Friday. Near as I could tell from what she told me was that it was a benefit for Unione Sportivo di Partigliano, the local walking group, and they needed a minimum number of people to receive the honorarium from the salesman. The whole idea confused me so much that I specifically asked Erina if we were talking about mattresses for beds. Yes, mattresses for beds she confirmed. We were not obligated to buy anything she assured us and there would be food and drink afterwards.
So, after dinner the four of us trooped up the hill to the old school (not used since well before we bought our house) where we found ourselves in a room with between forty and fifty local people. Up at the front was a single bed sitting on top of a couple of tables. What ensued was a spirited presentation by the salesman of all the virtues of the foam mattress, the slatted platform (that is used in Europe instead of a box spring), the pillow, the wool mattress cover, wool pillow cover and the wool and satin coverlet. A matrimoniale (double) version with all the bells and whistles could be yours for only €4,000.00!
The whole thing reminded me a great deal of a Tupperware party. However, the biggest surprise of the evening was that the U.S.P. received a donation of €500 from the salesman. Apparently this is how the company sells its products. They have no stores and do no advertising. The bed certainly seemed like good product but at that price I can handle an lesser mattress.
Kim and Rachel, as well as Dom and I, thought the whole thing quite hilarious. We did not stay long after the presentation was over (it took at least an hour and a half) and as the four of us picked our way down the hill we compared impressions of an unforgettable evening. Our guests definitely thought it was the highlight of their visit.
The next morning, Saturday, we dropped Kim and Rachel off at the train station where they planned to continue on to Umbria for several more days of touring. If you want to read more about their Italian adventures check out their blog at http://lifeinalessandria.blogspot.com/.
The weather had improved a great deal so Dom and I drove over to Viareggio along the coast. We parked in the port area and checked out a few of the mega-yachts berthed there. After a stop at a store for Dom to buy some wrenches and a stop at a bar for another coffee, we wandered through the streets where the boatbuilders have their factories and shops. Even though it was Saturday many of them were working and it was fun to peek in the doorways and see what was happening. I was struck by the number of bicycles and mopeds propped just inside the doorways. I remarked to Dom that it was nice of the businesses to provide “employee parking.”
Back in the car, we meandered around the Viareggio area for a while and stopped for pizza on the way home. That evening we, along with Mary and Orlando, went to Bob and Joy’s house for Cajun food. They fed us a delicious dinner of corn chowder, shrimp po’ boys, cole slaw and praline cake with ice cream. It was another wonderful evening with good friends.
Sunday morning Dom and I got up early and went to the marcia podistica at Casabianca. Unfortunately, Bridget the G.P.S. did not know where the town was located so we wandered around for a while before we found it. The fog that rolled in did not help matters but a stop at a bar helped. It was a bitterly cold morning so Dom and I walked briskly but it was near the end of 5 kilometers before I really felt warm.
Back at home I went to mass at the village church and was joined by Bob and Joy. The church near their house no longer holds mass and they had been going into Lucca on Sundays. It was Remembrance Day, for the end of World War I, so after mass a wreath was laid on the village war memorial. I invited Bob and Joy to join us for breakfast and when the sun came out we ended up eating our scrambled eggs and scones on the patio.
After they left I took my book outside for a while longer but even before the sun sank behind the hill the temperature plummeted. Even on the nicest days the nights have been quite cool. Most mornings we turn on the heat for a while. If we are home during the day we often have a fire. However, the wood we are using is not great so it is often a struggle to get it going and keep it going.
Yesterday was another beautiful, warm day. Dom and I both got some outdoor chores done but we also managed some relaxation including reading on the patio in the sunshine. With our departure from Italy two weeks from yesterday and lots of activities scheduled for our return to Whidbey Island we are trying to make the most of the rest of our stay. Since all our “to dos” have been completed we are taking the opportunity to do what we want. Tomorrow we are going to Florence for the day to celebrate my birthday by just to wandering around and having lunch. On Friday I plan to join Mary and Joy for a girls’ day in Lucca.
More tomorrow or Thursday…
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