October 28th-30th, Socked in in Lucca

The last couple days have given us horrific and extremely moody weather...with thunderstorms, winds, then a tease of sun, and a return to sudden downpours. We have tried to wander out when we get a small break to get some exercise, go for coffee, the internet and coffee. On the 30th, we checked out of our digs, stored the bike there for 4 days, and met our Servas host, Carmine Parella. ...a psychologist and a dear. He works alot with his patients with art and drama therapy, including Playback Theater, which Elaine was first exposed to at the Healing and Storytelling Conference in Minneapolis a couple years ago. He met us at his place at 2, within the city walls, we talked, he showed us around his place, and gave us the key to make ourselves comfortable. We offered to cook that night and he was happy to have us do so. Elaine made her pasta and artichoke dish and we sat up until midnight talking. Fortunatley, he offered us to stay here for 4 days until we check into our next and FINAL flat on Monday, which is very nearby. We have been blessed, especially given the weather situaion. We were unable to find room in Lucca for these 4 days, due to a huge Comics and Games convention here...everything is booked solid.

October 21st, Lucca by foot

Today we hiiked the long acquaduct that extends out 2 or more k from the Lucca train station. It called for rain, so we took our rain gear with us, plus lunch. En route, we saw people in their backgrounds tending to their gardens, people driving up in their cars to get water from the fresh spring taps en route. At the end, we saw a path that led beyond it and at night Mauny connected the dots, and saw that it was part of another trail, called something like Via della Acqua, which we had seen on a bike ride a few days . We made note to do the trail, of about 20k, on our next nice day in Lucca. It was beginning to rain, so we had our lunch under one of the aquaduct arches. By the time we returned in the afternoon it was pouring buckets. We stopped at the local supermarket and had dinner back in our room.

October 26th, Lucca to Pisa and back, 67.8

We woke up to not a cloud in the sky and very mild temps. By 10 a.m., we were headed south on S12 business. We rode flat through vineyards, villas, and a street lined with straight trees. We did a mild climb, and went through a tunnel, before doing a serpentine down to the outskirts of Pisa. Pisa is only about 25 k from Lucca and with easy access by bike. The Leaning Tower suddenly appeared and we navigated the streets toward it. We hung out at its plazza that also included a cathedral and cemetery and lots of tourists getting snapped pretending like they are pushing the tower over.

We then went toward the Arno river, and then back up an old shopping street, had some kebob at a Turkish restaurant, and then began our ride back. This time we were coming back on the old road toward Lucca. Mauny had found a side climb for us to do. When we were looking for it, he noticed that we had a flat. So he finally changed the rim tape and fixed the flat, and we found our road up. It was over 7.5 k straight up from the road we left and seemed to go on and on. En route, we saw lots of cars parked to the side, and families out in the woods looking for mushrooms to take home to cook. En route, Elaine and Mauny both got rather exasperated, due to lack of good fueling for such a climb, and had to stop to rest. But we were not deterred and went on. At the top, we thought we were going to find a village, but instead found a restaurant. For those of you in the Ventura area, this Sunday trip was like going to Cold Springs Tavern on a Sunday afternoon. Everyone was there. We rested for a moment there, turned around and made an 18 minute descent down the mountain, with seemingly constant oncoming cars. It was a white knuckle ride for Elaine.

We had a beautful finish to our ride into Lucca and went for some nutella crepes, that were well-deserved. We went home and changed shoes and went back out for groceries. Not a supermarket or bar was open, except for a small pizza joint in our neighborhood, where we had to eat. We did have something new to eat...a pizza like concotion made from chick peas. We went home, showered, read and went to bed with aching legs. A wonderful day!

October 25th, Lucca

Today we walked to the Lucca Saturday market to buy shoes, as we know that we are tempting weather fate with our Teva sandals. Mauny forgot his money belt, so Elaine waited for him inside the city walls. While there, she heard bagpipes and then a man in full Scottish garb approaching. He and his mate were promoting an upcoming concert by a Scottish military band. Elaine told him about her high school band and majorettes from her hometown of Scottdale, PA, which had its own bagpipe brigade and majorettes who did their own Scottish fling at footbal halftimes. They parted company and as he walked down the streets of Lucca, he flung his bagpipe up under his arm, and played the tune that Elaine had mentioned her school bagpipe brigade played upon entering the field. It brough at tear to her eye.

Mauny returned and on they went to the market. Mauny found running shoes, and Elaine a shawl and pair of new slacks to look more presentable for upcoming social evenings out. Mauny went back to our affitacamere and did his first run of 5k since September. Elaine went to wash her very dirty rain jacket, which took about 3 hours, as she had to wait for the stores to open at 3:30 just to buy detergent. So in the interim, she walked the shopping streets to find her shoes. After buying detergent, she went to the laundromat, only to learn that detergent was automatically included in the wash.

Elaine had also bought some Lucchese soup and took it back to the room. After dinner in the room, Elaine and Mauny went to a free concert. Puccini was born in Lucca and they are having a 150 year celebration of his life. Most of concerts are at charge, but the one tonight was free, and was excellent. The very talented jazz trio, took Puccini operas and set them to jazz. Later in the program, they also brought out an operatic singer who sang opera to jazz. It was a unique concept and very well done.