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The last few days of the Lucca whirlwind

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The photo is a takeaway Spritz. I mean how good is that?

Anyway. I forget where I was up to! I think it was Monday when the photography exhibition was closed. Then we all met up again for the mandatory aperitif before going off for a meal…the one where we spilt an inordinate amount of wine on the table.

That was a fun night that ended farewelling Andrew, Desiree and Gail as they were heading off to the Cinque Terre and I was leaving before they got back. Then Ann and Simon arrived after 11pm to stay the night as they had a night of homelessness. That all went to plan.

The next day was 39 deg again. The 3 of us set off for a fabulous breakfast place and sat about for ages. We then we went home and sat in front of the little air con unit until their place was ready for them to move into. Off they went and I went out to see the photography exhibition I’d missed the day before, arriving in a giant pool of sweat. Fortunately it was small and manageable and very enjoyable. I then went to get my first gelato since arriving in Italy. I went back to what used to be one of my favourite places but it definitely didn’t live up to expectation and my gelato treat turned into a gelato disappointment!! Then home again to cool off before the drill of meeting for aperitifs and then a meal. This time we went to a fantastic wine bar for our drinks and then a really fabulous restaurant where Ann knew the owner. This time it was Ann, Simon and Carmel. We had a great meal, sharing plates and enjoying everything.

Ann and Carmel decided that they were going to come to Firenze with me in the morning. So home for a last night in Lucca. Tidied up and packed up in the morning and Ann came to my place to pick me up. We met Carmel at a place for brekky and then they took my bags from me and off we all headed to the station. I was so glad to have them. It was hot, the elevator at the station had broken down and the regionale trains are like mountains to climb up on to!! So that was great.

In Firenze they went off shopping and I plodded off to my hotel. By the time the train got in at 12md the temperature had climbed to 40 deg. So I arrived at my expensive hotel in a pool of sweat with a face like a fucking beetroot!! I’d booked a single room of course but they told me they would upgrade me and here I am in a fabulous and massive suite. It is unreal and totally wonderful. I regrouped briefly and then set off for the Mercato San Lorenzo where I was meeting the girls for lunch. It was a 20 min walk away and when I got there I was once again like a walking, dripping beetroot!! But a glass or 2 of prosecco later and some pasta to die for (a truffle pasta that was truly divine stands out) and I was revived enough to head back to the hotel while they went off for some more serious shopping.

I only got half way to the hotel before I had to stop and get a juice to maintain my equilibrium. I came back here and flopped on my lovely bed under the air con. That was an hour and a half ago and I’m waiting for them to finish their shopping and meet me at the hotel for drinks in the bar before they head back to Lucca and that really will be it!!

I must say I couldn’t keep up the pace for much longer but it has been the most amazing time of being swept up with friends and feeling very much part of something extraordinary. Chris is worried that my expectations will be too high for the next phase of this incredible holiday. We meet on the train in the morning and that will be great too. First night in Slovenia I’m told after picking up the car.

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Yesterdays adventures

Next episode now: The famous and much anticipated lunch was yesterday. I stayed home in the morning with the foot up in preparation for an afternoon of eating and drinking.

We got a taxi to this restaurant called Butterfly outside the walls and down along the river in the most beautiful garden setting, We sat outside for the next 4 hours and ate the most amazing degustation menu accompanied by wine. It was really very special.

I had a little wooden box that I found to put my leg up and I was in heaven!!

There isn’t too much more I can say about that. It is quite an achievement for us all to be there.

We got back to Lucca and I had a couple of hours rest before we met again for drinks. The Italians always give you food with your drinks so that was meal enough after lunch.

Over drinks I had a consultation with the dear and wonderful Dr Andrew who felt that my leg wasn’t good enough to stop antibiotics ( a bit red and a bit warm) so he wants me to stay on them for another course and then stop with leg up ++++.

I can’t tell you how good it is to have him helping me. He thinks the back is broken (of the infection) but I need to treat it with great respect he tells me!!!

They leave tomorrow (Tuesday) but he is very happy for me to text/ take photos etc if I need to. Your photos were fantastic Rose because he went through them and saw what it was like when I left hospital and saw that it isn’t quite back to that point after the flight etc.. So…enough!! Suffice to say having him here was so fortuitous and has given me confidence. I hope the Calamia crew are reading this (in fact I might copy them into the email in case) because they will be interested in the important part Andrew B is playing in my survival!!

This morning I went off to get coffee. Bought some reading glasses and wandered a bit before coming home to get the leg up again. Andrew then txted and suggested we go to this exhibition at the art gallery as Desiree and Gail were out shopping. So off we trotted forgetting of course (Rosa you will know the feeling) that it is Monday and it was closed. So we had a coffee and back I came to…you guessed it….put the leg up.

We are meeting again this evening for drinks and a meal.

The others, Ann and Simon, have to move out of their accommodation for the night tonight so they have farmed their kids out to someone else and they are coming to stay here for the night.

I’m using this time in Lucca to get the leg under control so I can manage the next phase of travelling around.

Thats it for now… more tomorrow.

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Here beginneth another adventure

Its been so busy since arriving in Italy I haven’t had a minute to do anything other than tell you I’d arrived. But there is much to tell and its all about having a lovely time.

The flight was as fine as long flights can be called fine. Everything went on time and I had a seat between me and the next person on both legs. Not enough to put the leg up or spread out but certainly great to relieve the squishy pressure.

On the second leg the woman next to me was the chatty type but quite nice really. It was her first time to Italy and she was travelling alone so a bit of a kindred spirit so we bonded enough to share a taxi into Rome which was great so I didn’t have to get on the bus or train and the cost wasn’t formidable.

I arrived and Chris was at work. At this stage I was really worried about my leg, it was red and looked like it looked when I first went into hospital. I thought it was fucked but there were things I had to do so off I went. Hair cut tick, set up phone tick (had to get a new number because they had cancelled my old one. Then buy reading glasses tick and then I’d promised to meet my new friend from the plane for a Spritz at Piazza Navona. Another tick. But worried about my leg I declined a second drink and went home to get it up. When Chris came home we drank lots of wine, ate and I went to bed. All in all jet lag has passed me by (again)and after a good nights sleep I was back to normal.

So next day, it was coffee in the morning and then off to the station to get my train to Lucca. It is hot and sweaty and I wandered up Lucca station to find that my friend Ann was there to meet me. That was so nice, she grabbed my case and walked me to my apartment. We then went out and had lunch together, sat for ages catching up. Then I tootled back to my apartment for a shower. Andrew and Desiree were also arriving in the afternoon and we all met up for aperitivo’s at 6. That was also amazing. That we had pulled it off and all had actually made their way to Lucca from Australia. Then it was on for a great dinner with Andrew, Desiree and Gail. More wine and food and then they came back to my apartment for a bit more wine in case hadn’t had enough!!

So to today which is the day of the special lunch. We’re meeting at 12.30 to get into 2 taxis to get there. I’m spending the morning just lounging around with leg up…Ive even forgone a coffee!!

The other really good thing is that Andrew has been so supportive with the leg thing. He’s given me hope that it is not too disastrous. Given me lots of advice and will review it with regard to whether to come off antibiotics or not. So I’m more relaxed about it all.

More after the lunch. I think I’ve changed my mind about needing a coffee. Think I’ll wander off to get one!!

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Farewell Lucca

Today I record my missive from Roma. The Lucca episode closed this morning. This photo sums it up really. So many friends made it’s hard to even fathom it all. The Italian School in Lucca is amazing for the social networks it encourages, the like-minded people passing through and (cliche-ically) the sense of family it engenders.

So last night Anne (with apron) invited this lovely group of people to her Lucca apartment for dinner to farewell a number of us. She cooked an amazing meal and we laughed until 2am. A really very funny night, with some of the most hilarious stories Ive heard in a long time. One of the woman, We discovered that Camila (black top and frizzy black hair) was leaving on the same train as me so we arranged to meet the next morning at the station.

I was struggling like crazy this morning with my massively heavy cases being dragged behind me but before I was half way to the station I heard ‘Sue’ being called behind me and Loretta and Ibis (Loretta-pink top, white shorts and Ibis- greenish thai-dye top) bounced up behind me and relieved me of my case and escorted me to the station. We met Camila who had packed a picnic lunch for both of us to enjoy on the train. We said our farewells and Camila and I got on the train. I had all the help in the world on and off the train, a great lunch and lots of chat all the way to Firenze. I have been so lucky, really, these are fabulous people.

Here I am in Roma, it always feels like coming home and it is just great to come back to Chris’, have a glass of wine put in my hand and an old friend to chat to.

Weekend here, then off to Matera on Monday morning. This means an early train to Bari and then finding the right train in Bari to take me on to Matera. Roma seems even hotter than Lucca if that is actually possible and a constant state of sweat.

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Busy last days in Lucca

This last week in Lucca has been amazingly busy. My friends from school last week are a very active lot and kindly keep including me in all their activities. Hence I have dined out every night this week. Last night we (3 Aussies, one HK and one of our lovely teachers) wined and dined until nearly 2am with a lot of hilarity. You can’t beat a group of (mainly) Aussies to turn the conversation to toilets/ bidets and the like…Some great stories across the table. The night before it was a great fish restaurant outside the walls with my friend from HK and 2 American woman…great food and fun too.

I’m having a fairly relaxing week otherwise. I’m going out for lunch most days to revisit my favourite places. I try and ride a bit each day to get the most out of my lovely bike…I’m going to miss it very much. I wander around and feel nostalgic about leaving this great town. I’ve also started tidying and packing up. I’m meeting with Cristina, my landlady this morning to do a bit of planning for my exit as she has someone coming in on same day.

Tomorrow night one of the Austn women who is a professional chef at home and living here for 6 months with her family, has asked the group (including the 2 American woman) to dinner…I suspect that will be a heavy night for my last night. I think she is insane to take on this task but it will be fun.

So the time is rapidly coming when I start moving again, with lots of company and diversity of travel for the next couple of months before I come home. Not sure how I’ll cope without Italy in my life!!

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Ultima Settimana a Lucca

The weekend went by…my last in Lucca. On Sunday I roused myself enough to ride around the wall. In deference to the heat I went around twice, stopped and had a read then did another lap so 3 in all but a bit lazily. I’m getting the most out of the bike as I leave it behind in but days now. Most of the time at home I’m either doing a bit of cleaning up / packing or writing up my Italian lessons so I can throw all paper away. I’ve also gone solo on the 2 beautiful bottles of wine from the Chianti trip back in April and have now polished them off.

I’ve also been fighting with the car hire people because there was $223 on my credit card from them, so I told them they had charged the wrong credit or (my greater concern) they had charged both Norjie and I. This went back and forward and they claimed not to know what I was talking about. I sent them emails and they sent back saying don’t know what you’re talking about. So today I sent them my credit card statement and said please explain this charge. So finally they get back to me…oh!! that’s a fine you got from the Lucca police. Here is the notice and we authorised your credit card!!! Fucking hell. So the notice says for driving in a restricted area within the walls..god knows but it was when I hired a car with Shamala and Alan. I remember having to go back inside the walls to pick something up before going to the doctor with Shamala….the buggers!! I’m furious on 2 counts…that they fined me in the first place and that the hire car company just blithely authorised my credit card. Anyway I’m taking deep breaths and letting another fucking stupid italian fine go into the depths where I put bad memories.

Today I went to a hairdresser recommended by an Australian friend from school and had my beach/ summer haircut. The Italians seem to be great hair cutters so I’m happy with it. I went and bought myself a purse to bring home and did some other random shopping about the place. Pottered at home as above and am soon going out to have a meal with my friend Anita from school.

Have been reading up on Trieste and I think that will be a really interesting port of call…looking forward to that.

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A night at the opera and rain!!

I had an amazing night last night. With one of my friends from school (Anita) I went off to Torre del Lago which is this beautiful lake just back from the coast at Viareggio where Puccini had his summer house and wrote most of his operas. There is this amazing open air theatre there and we had the privilege of watching a performance of Tosca. Amazing!! A perfect midsummer night, one of those times when you just know how privileged you are to be doing this.

We got a shuttle bus there, had a lovely meal on a terrace over-hanging the lake as the sun set with extraordinary pastel hews across the lake…hard to describe but amazing. We then went and watched the opera in fantastic seats. There is also something about watching an opera in Italy, firstly you start(just start) to understand the words but secondly the enthusiasm of the audience is fantastic. Half way through the second act the soprano sang the aria (no programme so don’t know who she was and can’t find it online) and the audience went mad and started screaming ‘Bis’ ‘Bis’ for an encore so lo and behold the whole opera freezes while they repeat the aria…never seen that happen before…and then when she finishes the other actors pick up where they left off.
It went for 3 hrs + and we got back to Lucca at 1.30am and the apartment at 2am. A very late night for this old girl.

Then a few hours later, fortunately all tucked up in bed, the lightning and thunder started to pound and it rained!! As I sit and write this the thunder is cracking, its dark and rain is spitting. It is so humid but for the first time I have opened all the windows and it is cooler (not that it’s cool!!), its lovely.

Lots of writing up to do of the last week of school, photos to label etc so an indoors type of day…sneaked my coffee in during a break in the rain!!

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End of my penultimate week in Lucca

Yesterday Norjie left early in the morning and I set off for school. It was sad to see Norjie off but I hopped on the bike for school. Norjie had bought a fan while here because it was badly needed in the second bedroom. A friend at school was suffering badly because she didn’t have a fan so I said that when Norjie left I’d bring her the fan.

So I set off to school with fan and bag in basket of bike…a bit of a juggle and a bit wobbly but no worries I got myself to school but when I stood the bike up after I’d got off it over it went and the poor fan took it very badly i.e. mangled. Not to be defeated, I and a contingent of people at school set about bending into back into some sort of shape so that the blades could at least spin freely!! Oh dear…however it was working and Carmel (the woman) came to school today having had her first decent night’s sleep since arrival in Lucca last weekend.

It was a particularly bad day at school in that I was very tired and I just wasn’t getting it!! It was all about when to use Direct Pronouns, Indirect Pronouns and Reflexive Pronouns. Once again I was saying WTF??? No idea and just losing the plot.

Back at the ranch after school, that awful feeling of a very empty apartment. I overcame this feeling by marching off to the laundromat. Ever been laundromatting in 38 degree heat…I thought I seriously might die…but of course didn’t so have lived to tell the tale. I then spent a couple of hours or so going over this pronoun thing and trying to get my head around it all. Must say I felt much more in control of it at school today as a result. Nonetheless I didn’t feel too terrific in the evening. Everyone was heading off to listen to the Robbie Williams concert from outside the gates but I went to bed at 9ish…totally pooped. Most unusual for me.

Back on track today but Friday is always a sad day at school. My last day of being a student for this trip for sure. It’s been a great experience despite the failure of my brain to respond adequately. A fabulous school, great friends along the way and amazing teachers.

So…straight home today and no insane excursions to the laundromat. But tonight I’m off on an adventure with a friend from school to Torre del Lago, Puccini’s house by the lake, to an outdoor performance of Tosca by the Lake. It should be fun.

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Hottest year ever recorded in Europe!!

So I’m not just whinging…hottest ever in Italy. AJ has just told me so. Low overnight around 28-ish, massive humidity, just generally exhausting weather. Last 2 days at school. After school for 2 days in a row I’ve suffered the laundromat in order to keep up. School is good but I think it is time to stop now and admit a large degree of failure (and a minor degree of success). Just ate at home last night and downed an excessive number of Spritz’ in our efforts to keep cool (or oblivious). Today Norjie has been off on a boat cruise to the Cinque Terre, she’s not back yet but when she returns we are going to “Olive Oil” for The Last Supper!! Unfortunately I kind of got us stuck with one of my class mates who wanted to go to this restaurant and I felt I had to ask her to join us…hopefully it will work out OK. She is a woman from Hong Kong who is currently studying in New York so she will have something in common with Norjie.

We are all going to school like zombies, no-one is sleeping much. Nothing more to report…not much by way of activity at this end, it’s hard to bloody well move!!

Norjie leaves first thing in the morning and then I have a week of cleaning up, packing and preparing to farewell another city I’ve grown to love.

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Driving the Garfagna and more about school and meeting Aussies

Sunday was a back to the car day. The car is actually an extraordinary relief in this heat with its lovely aircon. Just so that it is recorded … the car hire place I’ve been using is Autonoleggio Giglio, Via Orzali 391… in case anyone wants to know in the future. They have been quite good to me.

So we set out to do a bit of Garfagna driving and made for the furthest point….Castelnuovo. A town up the river. It was an OK town but there are definitely towns more beautiful. We wandered around there for a while and then went back to the car to drive to the Fort …’Fortezza di Mont’Alfonso’. Up and up and up this windy road we went, and then up some more. There was a town we had seen way, way on top of the mountain and when we reached that town we concluded we had gone too far….a bit dumb I have to say and when we turned around and went back down the vertical road we saw that we had driven straight past the fort in totally unobservant style. Still it was a very scenic drive if a little daunting to ensure the Panda kept going, in first gear, on the steepest parts of the road.

We found the fort and walked around its walls…the best part was the views, it was otherwise uninspiring!! Then onwards and downwards to Barga. I love this town every time I go, it is a really stunning little medieval, walled town. We found a place to sit in the shade and have lunch, then I insisted Norjie walk up to the Duomo!! I on the other hand had been there twice before, so I insisted that I remain in the restaurant sipping wine and having a wee pannacotta…I’ve got my priorities right and I’m bossy enough to ensure Norjie got her priorities right too!!!

After Barga it was back to the Panda and off again, making our way back to Lucca, with a brief stop at the Devil’s Bridge at Borgo a Mozzano for a photo op. We dropped the car off after the biggest difficulty of the day which was working out how to fill it up in a self service thingo!! I put in 50 Eu and then couldn’t retrieve any change which made it an expensive fill-up!!

We got back to Lucca and the apartment at around 6pm. Just time to cool off, have a shower and go the “The World’s Best Restaurant” , Ristorante Giglio for dinner…my shout to farewell Norjie. We had a MASSIVE bistecca to share because Norjie wanted to try the Tuscan specialty…I can’t believe I got through it…took a while!! It was a lovely night and a late night.

So then there is the Monday morning need to face school. Each week we are missing some of the friends from previous week but today there was a ‘new’ woman who is from Adelaide and who I knew from ages ago when she was at Italian school before she went off to Sicily, Carmel. She is lovely although I think far too good to be in my class.

After school I had to meet up with this other Australian woman I had met ages ago through one of the teachers. She is a delight and we sat over a 3 hour lunch nattering like mad. She hasn’t come to school yet but will do so, probably after I leave.

Just in case you are wondering at how badly I am neglecting Norjie, she went off to Pisa for the day today and had a lovely time. Dinner at home tonight!! She leaves Thursday morning then I have one more week before I head down to Rome and then on to Matera.