Home.

Finally home. Flight from London changed, sending us to Chicago; delayed; missed connecting flight in Dallas, forced to spend night there, sans luggage. American Airlines vouchered us for most of the cost of a room at Embassy Suites, and we were happy to go to sleep rather than take a third flight in one day, anyway. This morning we took the final flight to Sacramento.

Day in London.

Unfortunately Nancy seems to be coming down with the same cold which I had during the week. We made it from our hotel in Kensington to central London and took the tour of HMS Belfast (highly recommended); stopped at Harrod's on our return, but being Sunday and a SALE day, it was bedlam. Nancy was disinclined to struggle with the situation and after a coffee break we packed it in.

Due to an early departure time tomorrow (and poor night's sleep- small bed last night), we have forfeited our second night in Kensington and moved to a Holiday Inn near Heathrow for our final redoubt.

Rome-Heathrow

We should of course still marvel that a trip from Rome to London would only take a day -- and it has taken nearly that. Italian security was unusually tight and slow (note to self: check for head scarves when choosing which passport/immigration line to join), and the crash yesterday at Heathrow caused delays that kept us 2 hours on the tarmac in Rome before we could depart. Our business/first class area was mostly empty and pleasant though, and after a 2-hour plus flight and a £50 taxi ride we made it our Kensington-area hotel safe and sound.

Departure.

Yesterday the skies brightened up, and I felt well enough to take other long walk around Lucca for a last round of photo-taking, while Nancy did some solo shopping. Late in the afternoon Gabriella came into town and we walked the Fillungo area again and stopped at Caffè Di Simo for coffee. After dinner out, we went to Luanna's house later in the evening for our last goodbyes. The conversation is about many things, including health care and politics in Italy (although surely the Italian is slower than normal for our benefit, it is assumed now that we will be able understand what is said, which usually we do).

Today we had just to tidy up the apartment a bit and stuff ourselves back into the luggage. Naturally Lucca is especially beautiful today, just as we must leave. We stop by Lidia's flat (Lidia is Roland's mother, who lives outside the walls) to visit for a bit; she has also just returned from Australia. Giacomo is there as well, having stopped by after school to have lunch with his nonna, as part of his normal routine. Lidia can speak English but seems much happier not to bother with it -- in Italian the conversation is more lively.

We're on the autostrada by about 1 p.m., and driving south through southern Tuscany on our way to Roma, listening to the radio playing a long set of Giuseppe Di Stefano singing Neapolitan songs (okay, we're pretty far from Napoli, but it did seem to fit our mood). It's sad to be leaving: it always seem as though we spend most of our time here learning and adapting, only to leave just as we begin to feel settled.

Stopping at a rest stop, we receive a text message from our landlady with thanks and a Buon Viaggio.

We've had many small victories. Just today Nancy successfully negotiated a refund on a overpaid parking fee in Italian and on a cell phone while walking in the street between cashier posts. Wow. I myself can say that every time that I have been out on the streets of Lucca alone, I have had people approach me speaking Italian (usually to ask directions). Perhaps the new moustache and the locally-bought vest give me the right look. I always manage a coherent reply -- but even better would be to actually know the answers!

Buckets.

Nancy and Vivienne went shopping at outlet stores near Florence all day yesterday; I stayed in the house and slept at will (which was most of the time). The rain continued, and by late afternoon was coming in buckets. Nancy returned around 7:30 with Vivienne, Giacomo -- and Roland, just returned his travels. We had a very nice (take-out) feast and some time to visit.

Today will be our last full day in Lucca as we must pack up and head to Rome tomorrow morning.

More Rain.

Vivienne and Giacomo stopped by our apartment yesterday and Nancy made us a nice lunch from local fresh groceries. Afterwards we had a nice walk around town.

Today unfortunately the rain returned in earnest -- and I seem to have finally caught the little cold (?) that has been stalking me for days. I'm just returning now from the farmacia.

We've been out this morning to rent the car (VW Passat) that we will drive to Roma, and to do enough grocery shopping to see us through our last days here in Lucca. I had hoped today to be out taking photos like a madman, but the best laid plans...

Blue Sky.

Night before last, we drove out to Guamo (just a few miles away) for dinner with Gabriella, Pietro and daughter Glenda. The TomTom GPS took us the "fast" way which included an unnecessary segment on the autostrada, but we arrived on time at the right place. We had a very nice meal with pasta and roasted meats (pork, ribs, rabbit) and a round of grappa.

Yesterday the sky cleared and we made excursions in town to take pictures (me) and procure foodstuffs (Nancy). Being Sunday, almost everything was closed, but Via Fillungo was full of folks making their passegiate anyway.

Late in the afternoon we met cousin Franchesca and her husband Gianni for coffee at Caffè Di Simo, a famous bar once frequented by G. Puccini. We were a bit late (I got the directions a bit wrong -- language issues), but we had a nice visit. They send their best regards to family in America!

A Little More Rain

After sleeping a bit late (with grey skies, and the bedroom shutters closed, we lose some sense of time), we are out to run a few errands. First stop, a little shopping in the Piazza Anfiteatro, which is still sporting it's large "starburst" decoration from the holidays. Some of the stores in this piazza, a big tourist destination during the fair-weather seasons, are closed for the winter. Nancy visits a store which is only keeping hours during Saturday afternoons: the Dutch woman who owns the place has apparently hired a local girl to stand in for her these days.




Nancy also braves a local salumeria to jostle for service at the counter (that's part of her face at the far right among the customers). Apart for some confusion over procedure, she is again successful in having an all-Italian transaction.




Here's our new place. The entrance is a couple of doors past the intersection, and our corner flat is one flight up.

This afternoon I've telephoned my mother's first cousin Franchesca who lives nearby, to see if we can meet sometime this week. She is a very sweet lady who radiates warmth and sympathy -- but she always gives to0 much credit to my Italian-language skills, which makes the first phone call a real test! This time it goes well, and we make loose plans to meet tomorrow for coffee.

Tonight we go to Gabriella's house in Guamo (a little south of Lucca) for dinner.

New Digs in Lucca.

We have been on the move, so I'm posting late. We've transfered to Lucca itself, to a private apartment inside the walls. Nancy found this place through an internet friend who recommended us to the owner. There was just a little snafu as we arrived outside the building and waited outside for the landlady, not realizing that she was already inside (the building has 6 or so door buzzers, and we didn't know which to try -- we had never gotten a surname). There were apologies all around for the unnecessary waiting.

It's a pretty place, not large but big enough for us, and sporting all the modern kitchen and bath appliances, having been contructed just a few years ago. The building itself is a very old palazzo, but like many such structures in Lucca, the exterior retains its historical look while the interior has been restructured for modern habitation.

We have swapped vehicles also, taking cousin Roland's larger BMW in preparation for picking up Vivienne and Giacomo and all their luggage from the Pisa airport. We have just now returned from that mission. Although V. and G. arrived in good health (though somewhat fatigued), their luggage has been delayed. We delivered them to their house and after some coffee and conversation we left them to sort out their lives and their jet-lag. They expect their luggage later today.

Returning from Lido by way of Camaiore we stopped for a late pranzo; now we can settle down to our own housekeeping and routine here in town.

Shopping and Websites.

A day spent around Lido: Nancy went with our neighbor Marina to check out a local street market in Forte dei Marmi; I stayed in and hashed out a primitive website for Marco and Anna.
It was a bit of a struggle, with my limited webmaster skills and the language obstacles, by in the end we seem to have resolved most issues. It remains to find an Italian-based server on which to put them.