Two more days have gone by as I keep up my efforts to feel at home…today was my biggest achievement. I bought myself a Bike!! I’m so proud of it. If ever anything makes you feel at home in Lucca it’s joining the bike riding masses!!
But I will start with yesterday and get myself up to date. Yesterday (Tuesday) I set off in the morning and went to the National Museum at Villa Guinigi…the one we walked past on the way to the carpark H,A &R. I wandered around there but I must confess that it was a bit under-whelming. You see so many absolutely amazing museums that a little piddly one like the Lucca one just doesn’t match up. Anyway, I enjoyed pottering around, it’s my forte. I then went home to afford myself the pleasure of my homemade soup for lunch. Delicious…that bit of grappa just gives it an edge. Couldn’t be more divine. I then went off to do my little double circumnavigation of the wall on my hired bike. This arrangement of the hired bike wasn’t great because if I stayed out longer I wasn’t sure what would happen as we had hit on a reduced price for 1 hour…limiting!! Anyway, I enjoyed it. I then reward myself with a sit in the sun and a gelato. I wandered a bit more and actually then decided, a bit randomly, to have an Aperol Spritz at that place on Piazza San Michele that where we had one Rose. But it doesn’t feel right indulging by yourself so don’t think I’ll do that again. Then home and an episode (two actually) of House of Cards.<
Today I had arranged to have morning coffee with Cristina, my lovely landlady. I have to say if I’ve done anything right it is to have had the best landlords in both Bologna and here (not Rome). She is a delight. So we went for coffee on the wall at that Columbine place… So we chatted about everything…she really is lovely. So then she took me to her bike man and negotiated for me to buy a brand new bike…even with gears for 190 Eu. And he will buy if back from me when I leave (if I don’t decide to just give it to Cristina who’s bike was recently stolen). So off I went to pick up the bike later this afternoon. Then Cristina got all anxious about where I would keep the bike safely. She rang a man who owns the ground floor of his building. It is an unused office sort of area. She cajoled him into giving me a key and now my bike has a lovely safe home too. I spent the day doing fun things like booking flights and accommodation to meet up with Ang and Kirst and getting myself to Sicily. That always makes me feel cheerful. I also did some shopping. I went to that Alimentari where you bought your beer Rose…it is the one that Cristina recommended too and they were just lovely. The whole shop was engaged in my purchases!!
I wandered a bit until it was time to pick up my bike. Oh dear, I get so anxious. He insisted I go for a test ride and he was a bit anxious himself that I’d make it OK. But off I went, even riding along the streets and then around the wall. As I went home on the bike the bike shop man was very enthusiastically giving me the thumbs up as I wobbled past!!
Cristina met me back home with the key to the my ‘ragazza’s’ new home. She is locked up safely and I am about to heat up some of the yummy food I bought.
So…maybe I am a little more Lucchese than I was yesterday!!
Loads of love to everyone…I can see you all being very proud of me