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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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Early days in Lucca

It’s been a few days. Rose and I spent Thursday getting our bearings in Lucca. We walked the wall (at least most of it until we hopped off to find some lunch). We sat in the glorious sunshine and had a most delicious pasta. We also did the mundane things. We found the supermarket, identified the shops we’d be needing to be able to cook up an Easter feast. We bought Rose a little jacket given that she hadn’t packed anything warm. We took it easy in the afternoon then went out and had a nice meal at Trattoria L’Olivio, then home to bed. Still very nippy in the evenings.

On Friday we went walking again after morning coffee. It is business as usual on Good Friday in Italy which feels a bit weird. So we did a bit more window shopping. Did a bit more wall walking before we found another nice place to sit in the sun for lunch. Then it was time to get on the bus for Pisa Airport and go and pick up Ham and Ariane. As we were about to get on the bus we got messages to say their plane was delayed. We got on the bus anyway and their plane was an hour and a half late. Not too much drama, just another excuse to have to go to a bar for wine/beer/coffee.

So exciting to see them..what more pleasure for a mumma!! We took ages to finalise the car hire mainly because I didn’t bring the right credit card. Anyway eventually we were on the road and in Lucca before long at all. Parked the car outside the walls and walked in to the apartment. Aperitifs and settling in time and then out for dinner to a fantastic restaurant called Buca di San Antonio. It was great…fabulous food and lovely atmosphere. So much to eat!!

Now we are up to yesterday. The weather angel finally decided it was time for a big piss and it rained and rained all day. Apart from running off to put money in the car meter and having coffee and doing LOADS of shopping for Easter Sunday/ Monday we did little in the morning. We then went and found a place for lunch. We happened upon a lovely place for the mandatory fresh, delicious pasta.

We then thought despite the awful rain that we’d go for a little drive in the surrounds of Lucca. And it was absolutely lovely. A lush, green valley with mineral springs, lovely little villages and a river with picturesque bridges. We got to a town called Barga and walked through it’s steep winding streets up to the Duomo on top of the hill. That was lovely. Then back to Lucca. What could have been a wet and miserable afternoon was really enjoyable. We got home late and could only spruce up to get ready to out to dinner to “Lucca’s best” restaurant Ristorante Giglio. And it was truly heavenly food. I’ve never had a gnocchi like it….just superb as was every single dish. Lovely wine and a desert to only dream about. A fitting start to the easter break.

Today we have stocked up for a ‘cook-up’ at home for Easter Sunday. It will be fun. I for one am in heaven surrounded by family. Just missing you A&K!!!