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Not a good day for driving around Tuscany

Today we had the hire car and were off to drive around the Tuscan hills. To start with it was raining so not really a good day for it although it did clear up. Shamala likes to cook at home so she did a bit of shopping before we left to cook this evening. Then we set off on a drive that I thought was just beautiful. It was ages before I turned around to ask Shamala if she was enjoying it and she wasn’t!! She hates the narrow little roads and driving in the hills and was scared!! OOPS!! So we went to the Villa I went to with school and walked around there, they toured the villa and we walked in the gardens together which is lovely.

Then I thought best to get rid of the car and make sure Shamala was on terra firma. So we went to take the car back at 1pm but of course the place was closed until 3pm. So Shamala and Alan walked back to town and I sat and waited 2 bloody hours for the hire place to open again. A bit of a lost day. However S&A have been out sightseeing in Lucca so hopefully enjoying themselves.

So, they did return and had been to the Duomo, Shamala has cooked a soup for tea and now its bed time. They are going to Firenze tomorrow and I’ve decided I won’t go with them…best they take their own time and work out what they want to see. I’ll enjoy a Lucca potter and walk or ride.

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Times with Shamala and Alan

In the last email on Tuesday morning Shamala was unwell. Well she went from bad to worse, we spent Tuesday wandering around a bit but a very low key day really. We walked for a short time on the wall. Did a bit of shopping and came home. Shamala really wanted to cook a home cooked meal and she made a delicious chicken curry that was absolutely yummy. Then it was early to bed.

The next morning she was worse, had slept badly and was cough, cough, coughing. She needed to see a doctor so I rang Cristina the landlady and she got in touch with her doctor. Unfortunately she couldn’t see us until 6pm but at least we had an appointment!! By this time Shamala had taken to her bed and Alan and I languished about a bit. I got restless and went off on my bike for 3.5 laps of the wall (I’ve worked out that that is about the 15km mark). Then later Alan and I went out for a coffee and a walk. Finally at 6pm we went off to find the doctor. Weirdly I followed Cristina’s instructions and ended up in a doctors surgery all right. However I was finally told that it was the wrong doctor’s surgery. Off we raced and with phone calls back and forward to Cristina, finally found our doctor.

She was extraordinarily thorough…and wanted Shamala to go off to the Emergency Dept of the Lucca Hospital for an Xray. That meant getting in a taxi at 7.30pm and going to the hospital. At the hospital the staff just couldn’t ‘get’ us with our Australian ID, a private referral and no Italian ‘number’. So they wanted us to come back in the morning. We had to argue that it was an emergency, the doctor wanted to be rung tonight etc etc. To cut a long story short she finally had an Xray which was all clear! BUT they didn’t know how to bill us and we had to go back in the morning to sort out the bill!! Finally got home around 9.30pm. Fortunately we had leftovers from Shamala’s cook up of the night before!!! What a saga!! And can I tell you (probably don’t need to) that my Italian was challenged way beyond its limits!!

This morning Shamala had the bright idea that instead of getting a taxi to the hospital and the follow up doctor’s visit scheduled for the afternoon, that we should hire a car. Good thought but it meant me taking the plunge that I have been avoiding every time we hire a car and I tell Hammy I will share the driving!! But to my credit I took a deep breath and we hired a car. A Fiat Punto. In I got and off I went. Firstly Shamala had forgotten her test results so I had to negotiate inside the walls to a spot where we could walk back to the apartment. Then I had to manage to find the hospital. We did all that, caused another stir as they tried to figure us out again in order to bill for the Xray.

Anyway…all done and then we set off for a few hours in the country. We retraced the steps of H,A,R and I to Borgo a Mozzano (The devils Bridge) and on up to Barga. All so much more pleasant in the sunshine I must say and we explored Barga to find a lovely town centre that we completely missed in the rain and the slippery roads. It was lovely and I really enjoyed it but Shamala felt like shit and found walking up the steep roads heavy going.

Then we had to get back and find the doctor in different rooms to yesterday outside the walls with an inaccurate address given to us by Cristina. Anyway eventually all done and finally parked the car near the station and left it for the night…PHEW!!! I was very proud of myself though. A job well done thought I. No-one knew how scary it was for me!!

We had a bit of tea in a little trattoria and came home. Tomorrow its off to the countryside again…hope I can pull off another day and get the car back safe and sound!!
Lots of LoveXXXXXXX

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Preparing for visitors

Yesterday was spent focussed on the arrival of Shamala and Allan. So, it was up and off to the laundromat to get the sheets organised. Tucked a coffee in there between the wash and the dryer, home to make up bed and clean, clean, clean. Then I did a bit of shopping which included getting the ingredients for an Aperol Spritz. Booked a table for the evening meal and off to the train station to meet them. They arrived on time and we walked back to the apartment with a break for a coffee. they have mountains of luggage so we had to take it slowly!! We had a bite to eat and a drink and a rest then we went out for a bit of a passeggiata before dinner. We kept bumping into people I knew from school..they are everywhere!! Then a meal outside which was pleasant and basically home to bed.

This morning Shamala is unwell, she has caught a cold from the ship so not sure how she’ll go. The idea is to just spend the day in Lucca today. We will hire a car for a day or two and they will go off to Florence and Pisa. They would like me to go to Florence with them so they can get about and see things more quickly!!! Not sure about that but we’ll see!!

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A very active giorno della mamma

Hi everyone
Such an active day. Lovely to hear from Angus and Rose this morning. A tad of mistiness on a Mother’s Day for a Mumma without any chicks around. Ham I know you will have sent the flowers but they have been lost in transit, I guess you have tried to ring but are too far away!! Oh well I’m sure you are thinking of me!!

I had a really lovely day. After laundromatting and chatting to R & A I went and met up with my friends, Susana and Carolina, for coffee. They then hired their bikes and we set off on a cycling adventure. This time we went in the opposite direction along the river on a bike path we didn’t even know existed. It was absolutely beautiful the river was deeper and faster flowing with Italians here and there along the way swimming in the river. It was a glorious day, about 27, with a bright shining sun all day. We road for about 7 kms along the river to this town called Saltocchio. A bit beyond the town, near the Ponte a Moriano, we found this amazing restaurant called ‘Il Rinzo’. We had been told about it but we went into the town and found nothing that resembled a nice restaurant. We had to get directions from the old men sitting outside the little local bar…one of whom jumped on his bike and guided us part of the way. We found what looked like a very ordinary little bar until you went out the back to a fabulous ‘authentic’, family restaurant with amazingly wonderful food all made ‘in house’. They told us about their specialties and we had one of each to share. It was completely marvellous. After lunch we walked across the bridge to explore and then cycled back home.

We didn’t part company immediately and went and aperitivo’s at 2 different places before we said goodbye. Susana has left her case with me and is heading off in the morning to explore Italy some more. She will be back in the beginning of June and will stay a night or 2 with me before she heads off to Mexico to visit her Mum (and then back to Colorado).

So, I had 45 minutes to go home, get some money, change my shoes and head out again to meet Andrew and Desiree for an Aperativo (my third for the afternoon) and then on to a restaurant for a meal. We went to a place they loved and I hadn’t been to before…always good…and had an amazing dish of fagole (beans) with gorgonzola. We had compatible, chatty meat and then I farewelled them and home

Guess what, Hammy just Skyped. I’m not going to redo my email so just read that the flowers did get lost but Hammy rang as soon as he returned to London. We had a long, long chat and I feel so happy (and fortunate) that I have three lovely, thoughtful children.

I’m very tired after a huge day and am off to bed.

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Day in Viareggio

I think it’s a good thing that I’m having a break from school and that Susana is heading off on Monday morning…otherwise I might die of exhaustion. We all (Susana, Carolina and I ) woke up a bit seedy this morning but notwithstanding we met at 9 for coffee and then headed off on the train for Viareggio. It was a lovely day, we headed straight for the beach and it is a lovely beach that took me by surprise a bit. A long stretch of sandy waterfront and clear water. You have to pay to sit on the beach and to swim in the water, but there is a tiny postage stamp that is ‘free’ and packed with people. Just for the record it’s 15Eu to get a chair and umbrella. It is surprisingly lovely though you may not be able to imagine that, specially if you are bobbing around in Tonga!!

We walked along the beach paddling which felt good. For the first time I wore thongs and was able to walk along barefoot…funny what a nice feeling that is and how much we take it for granted. We wandered along the pier and then back to have some seafood for lunch. A delicious fritto misto which was mainly calamari with a couple of prawns thrown in. We walked up along the river and then through the township for the mandatory gelato!! It was a lovely sunny day but not too hot…about 24. Then back up to the train station and a 20 minute trip back to Lucca…too easy!!

Still a big day and I got home tired…refusing the suggestion of dinner to have a bit of ‘downtime’. Carolina particularly is a very loud American / Latino from Seattle. If I was just observing her I’d wonder what I’d struck but she is a lovely person and lots of fun. Nonetheless a bit of ‘away’ time is in order!!

Tomorrow it’s a later start. We are meeting at 11 to set off on another bike ride along the river, this time in the opposite direction toward another town we’ve been told about. Lunch in a village somewhere. Then tomorrow night I am dining with Andrew and Desiree Broad before they leave Lucca on Monday. Then Shamala and Alan arrive on Monday for a week. So it’s go,go,go!!

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Lovely Lucca

My god, I’ve just got rid of my drunken friends who came back to my place for drinks after dinner. I thought they’d never leave. Tales of amazing Quentin Tarantino parties, of meeting samuel jackson and George Clooney etc etc. Amazing and quite beyond my comprehension.

But I am digressing. I need to return to yesterday which was a quieter day all round. Classes in the morning and then I decided not to go to cooking class and to do my own thing…I think I was a bit overwhelmed all in all with classes and activities. So I went home for a couple of hours to try to digest some of the learning. Then I decided to take myself off for a ride around the wall. I did 3.5 times around which I reckon to be around 15 km. I had rung Bec Lang in the morning to say how sad I was about David’s death and I was feeling a little bit off centre. I had tea at home and focussed on more Italian homework as I am very behind from so much activity.

This morning was another day. I chatted with Rose about David’s funeral and I have to say that it has made me very sad, I guess another chapter closes and I move up the ladder, as it were!! Then just before I set off for school I got an email from Susana to say she wasn’t coming to school because she wasn’t well. We had a new teacher for the day as our teacher had to go to a course in Rome. So it was me and a teacher I didn’t know…oh shit!! But as it turns out Laura and I got on well and although it was an intense 3 hrs it was good because she just forced me to talk…hopeless but good to have to do it!

At school friend from another class, Carolina, said she wanted to meet up for the afternoon so I arranged to meet her in Piazza Antiteatro mid afternoon. I told Susana that this was what I was doing and she also came along to (sick??????). We wandered around town for a bit then decided an Aperol Spritz was the way to go. So we sat outside and had a (couple of ) Spritz. We wandered some more, meeting people from school all over the place who diverted us and walked with us for a while. Carolina decided she was starving so we went in search of a place for early (6.30) tea. We went to the place Rose and I had gone (outside with internal courtyard) and had a yummy bean soup…specialty of Lucca and, of course, a litre of wine between the 3 of us. We cruised on to a shop that specialises in chocolate and had a yoghurt withe chocolate sauce!!

Then we bought some wine and came over to my place to drink the bottle. I have just farewelled them giggling off down the street to meet again in the morning for coffee before we head off to Viareggio for a little day trip. It’s all go here with so many people from school all over the place and all treat you like long lost friends.

I’m exhausted and have to organise myself a domani !!

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A day of activities

Oh my god…just home (10 pm) after a huge day and I must admit to having had quite a lot to drink!!
So…off to school this morning. And again a very intense day but with so much to be learnt. Now I am actually vaguely able to use the past tense. Susana and I were sent out to the market with a list of questions we had to ask the store holders and come back with the answers. I am always in awe of the patience and kindness of the Italians. They are just an awesome people and who just love that you are trying to learn their language.

After class it was race home for a brief drop off of books before having to head back to go on our excursion. But there was an email from Buds telling me David Lang had died. This is such sad news for me. He was so close to our family for so long. But not much time to contemplate too much as I had to race back to get into the van that took us to Livorno.

Honestly I have to say that the group of people learning Italian at my school are just fantastic. They are all so nice, none of them are in my class (except Susana) but it really is like a group of friends. Andrew Broad and Desiree were there again and many others I had never met before, or met a couple of times but without exception they are just lovely. It is such a nice feeling.

Anyway it was another great trip. We got to Livorno and then went on this boat around the canals, around a Medici Palace from the 1500s (the Medici’s ruled Livorno) and down to the port where the cruise ships sit. I learnt a lot about Livorno which was extensively bombed during WW!!. 85% of the city was destroyed (it was a major port). When we got off the boat we went down to the waterfront with its fine esplanade and walked along the beachfront. It was warm and just a lovely little passeggiata. We then went to a bar for a wee aperitivo!

On return to Lucca Susana and a new friend, Carolina and I went out for dinner. We went to a ‘new’ restaurant which was really terrific. We had a lovely meal, some lovely wine, desert and then they gave us complimentary limoncello!! When I left my NBFFs they were giggling off down the street wondering if they could find their way to their respective abodes. I like Susana more and more. She is 37, She is Mexican who is living and working in Colorado (have I said that before???).

So…no homework or revision today which isn’t good because I’ll get way behind, specially as there is a cooking class out in the country at a fattoria tomorrow night that I wasn’t going to go to but everyone was persuading me that I had to go so I’ll see tomorrow.
So, the week so far is really good. The bad thing (just because I can’t give up my role as pessimist extraordinaire) is that Susana leaves at the end of this week, as does Andrew and Desiree. I’ll stop classes for 2 weeks and then who knows what will await me!!

Anyway…off to bed. Lots and lots of love. I’m still excited about Ang and Kirst’s engagement, as well as having their visit to look forward to.

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Life is about school

School was much better today. Bruce was moved to beginners (this is the first time I realised I wasn’t in beginners but I’m with the bigger kids in intermediate), anyway that left just Susana and I and it was FULL ON…conversation +++++ and getting about 50% of it if I was lucky but it is good and very challenging. I’m exhausted!! I then had lunch with Susana…she always likes to go for lunch so I sort of have to go along too but my poor soup is languishing badly. Rose would have thrown it out by now, but not me!!!
Susana is wanting to travel some more around Italy from next week on so she is trying to get as much information as possible from me about where to go etc. Anyway, it was a very long lunch and I eventually got back home much later having done a little shopping on the way.

Then there’s revision/writing up/ trying to understand what the hell happened in class…this takes me hours every afternoon. So it was a no exercise day today! But that was OK because it was 28 deg. and very sticky. Tomorrow after school there is a BIG excursion to Livorno (on the coast below Pisa) where we go on a boat trip down canals or something…not sure but it sounds big!! Both Susana and I are going on this one.

More tomorrow night.

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Back to school

Up and off to school again this morning. Not nearly as good this week. Susana and I have been joined by one other student, an american man who is a beginner but actually speaks Mandarin, Japanese and Korean so he can’t be dumb. But he is a very conservative american in Italy with his wife. He is way behind the ball when it comes to knowing even the basics of italian so he was totally lost. We have a new teacher and she is much harder to follow and doesn’t give you the lesson and then the conversation so you tend to get lost and not know what you need to be doing. It’s harder for Bruce (yes, he really is a Bruce, I thought that name belonged to Australians). So where last week I thought I was making some small gains, this week it is down the plughole and back to base 1 !! Also the ambience/ collegiate feel of the class has gone…oh well!!

Susana and I went off for lunch after the lesson and met up with some other people from school at the restaurant which was nice even if they were speaking Italian diligently over lunch and most of it went over my head. Nice (and new for me) restaurant though. Then we all parted company and I set off on my bike to do my mandatory around the wall…made it 3 times again but god my bum will hardly hold me up at the end of it.

Then I came home and have been doing my revision / writing up all the rest of the afternoon. I’m exhausted. Last episode of Newsroom tonight..I’m reluctant to play it cos I hate finishing series that I have bonded with and am so enjoying. It’s like losing a friend.

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A weekend

Another weekend has come and gone. Yesterday was rainy for most of the day. So it was mundane chores for the morning. I did the laundromat thingo and had my coffee all in the one little outing. I lugged my washing home and then did some cooking. I made some Pumpkin soup to see me through the coming week. I cooked up some beautiful white asparagus to accompany my meals and while all this was happening I wrote up Thursdays Italian lesson and tried to absorb some of it.

After lunch the day started to clear up so I thought I should get a bit of exercise in and walked around the wall. It is quite a tiring exercise walking around the wall…I think I’ve said …5kms…but who’s counting?? I had one of my technological crises when my phone refused to connect to the internet. This crisis carried over until today when I finally made it forget the network and started all over again and it decided to connect…stupid really.

Today was better…no rain but the Lucca Marathon meant that everything was closed down for the morning so I didn’t rush. A very happy Skype with Ang and Kirst started the day and set me off on a planning/ exploring session for my time with A&K in Aug/ Sept. That always keeps me looking forward with excitement. Then a Skype to Rose which was also lovely. So by the time I got myself out it was 11am and my coffee shop was open.

After coffee I decided to go for a ride. The wall was all clogged up with those mad people who run marathons so I went outside the wall around Lucca. I have posed the problem to Ang that if the wall is 4.3 km and the path around the perimeter is about 150M further out from the wall how far did I ride when I went around twice. Surely it’s more than 10km…much more!!

After that ride I went home and had my pumpkin soup for lunch…delicious. Then I went out walking. There was a massive parade and competition of people in medieval costumes playing their music and flag throwing. So I wandered around after that for a while. Then I met some people from school who told me that the Black Christ…the Volto Santo…was dressed in the gold crown and jewel laden gown only twice a year and today was one of those days. So off I went to the Duomo and it really was very impressive, very opulent and people parading past in their droves. By this time my legs had had it so home I came to resume my research into San Sebastian/ Barcelona etc!!

I’m looking forward to my white asparagus for tea with some chicken!! Back to school tomorrow with a new class and a new teacher so who knows how that will turn out. Susana will be with me for another week so that’s nice.