I couldn't get anybody else interested in waking up or eating so I just had some tuna salad from the provisions that we had, went to bed and we all hope to be more coherent and less jet-lagged in the morning!

Thursday morning we had scrambled eggs with prosciutto for breakfast (thank you, Katie) and headed off to our orientation meeting at Trattoria Stefani.  Cathy provided us excellent driving directions, and we also were trying out Dave's GPS at the same time.  It was very comforting that they agreed on where we were supposed to be!  Part of the drive was switchbacks up a steep hill and we discovered we could see Pisa (the leaning tower was pretty obvious) from the side of the hill!  We were entertained by relatively small things.  

We were told to be there at 10:30 so we were.  But others didn't show up until nearly an hour later so we were very late getting started.  (One of the annoyances of being part of a large group.  Cathy said that our group of about 44 was the largest she had had in her year with Untours.  However, we were not all together for many events so it wasn't too bothersome.)  Most of what she went over was included in the packets she handed out, but we did get some specific questions answered and those who wanted to borrow cell phones or rent a GPS could do it at that time.

Following the meeting, we opted to stay there for lunch at 17 € each.  At the time, I thought that was high, but after 2 weeks I realize that, for what we got, it was about right.  There was as much wine as we wanted and several courses:  as I recall, we had 3 antipastos, 2 pastas, insalata, dessert and expresso.   That morning did reinforce our previous conviction that we didn't ever want to be part of a "real" tour group!  I think I get less patient as I get older.  

After lunch we continued on that same road to Lucca, parking in the big lot on Viale Giosue Carducci on the southwest edge of the city just outside the walls, per Cathy's excellent instructions.  It was a gated lot - you take a ticket and park, then when you return you use the automatic machine at the Cassa to pay using either coins or credit card and you get an Exit ticket that has to be inserted in the gate to get out.  

September 13 is a special day in Lucca - the festival of Volto Santo.  This refers to a large cedar wood Crucifix normally housed in the Duomo (more on that later) which is said to be a true effigy of Christ carved by Nicodemus, an eyewitness to the crucifixion.  However, authorities have agreed that this is probably a 13th century copy of the original.  The legend is that the Volto Santo arrived in Lucca in 782 by itself - presumably directly by the Holy Spirit.  Regardless of how much one believes, it is a good excuse for a party and the city was more crowded that afternoon than it normally would have been.  We wandered the town a little bit, paid 60 cents to use public restrooms, had some gelato.  John and Dave went through the market in Piazza San Michele (left) while Katie and I went into the church and, as always in places like that, were awed by the art and history.  Then we walked all the way around the city on the walls.  I think Lucca is the largest Italian city whose walls, constructed in the 16-17th century as protection against the Florentines, are still entirely intact.  They are now used as a city park and you can walk or bike all the way around the city on top of the wall.  We also observed that not only on the wall, but throughout Tuscany, wherever there was a public water fountain there was also a dog bowl!

When we finished the circuit of the city, it was nearly 7 PM.  Since we had a large, late lunch, we just grabbed some focaccie and went off to see what we could see of the big procession.  There are thousands and thousands of candles - not electric lights, but real candles - lit all over the churches and other buildings.  Various groups had been doing the lighting with cherry-pickers and other equipment all day long.  Earlier we had seen men climbing around the top of San Michele and didn't understand what they were doing - in the daylight we couldn't really see the candles lighting up, but as it got darker the city just glittered.  We happened to be going by San Salvatori church when a group of clergy emerged, carrying the Volto Santo.  We followed them up to Chiesa San Frediano where the procession was staged.  It seemed that half of Tuscany must have been participating, reminding me of the all-community sorts of events we have in the midwest.  (Here in Evansdale it is a weekend of "Good Old Days.")  There were bands, community groups, children's groups, religious groups, a large contingent of what looked like SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) groups in costume with crossbows, banners, drums and flag performers. There are 4 SCA chapters in northern Italy so maybe it was!

(The first two pictures here - the Volto Santo and the duomo on processional night - I did not take.  They were scanned from postcards.)

We watched most of the procession at its starting point and were suitably impressed - it really was an odd feeling to be in the midst of this very special event.  Nobody chased us away - they didn't seem to mind having strangers sitting right there in the staging area watching.  Each group appeared to know its cues and fall into place exactly at the right time without any obvious direction.  When we had seen most of it, we headed back through the crowds to the parking lot.  We want to come back to Lucca later in our stay and see some of the things we didn't have time for today.

We let the GPS direct us back to the Fattoria since we were still pretty unfamiliar with the area and it was dark.  It took us to the autostrada which gave Katie (the driver) a moment of panic but actually, it was just like any US interstate and we exited about a mile from "home" (for a 90 cent toll) so it turned out to be a good choice.  We got back about 10 PM, had some popcorn for snack and then headed to bed with no specific plans for the next day.  

Friday (9/14/07) we slept late - still catching up from jet lag.  John and I got up around 9 and went to breakfast at the Bar Iannette at #7 Piazza G. Mazzini, otherwise known as the little strip mall at the Migliarino crossroads!  The picture at the right shows the intersection - it is taken from the parking lot of the Piazza.  Do you notice anything that might be construed as unusual?  I'll let you think about it and give you the "answer" in several days which is when WE first noticed it!   Anyway, the bar has great pastries and gelato in addition to drinks.  So it became a convenient place to stop for croissants and other sweet rolls.  We then went off to the Fattoria store and got a few things - honey, some more eggs, some ready-to-reheat frozen seafood paella.   While we were out we drove down to the first parking lot near the marina but not all the way down to the beach, saving that trip for later in the afternoon.

When we returned, Katie and Dave were up; John and Dave went off to do some more exploring, Katie, who had left home with a nasty cold, went back to bed declaring today was a recuperation day, and I did some journaling and reading, enjoying just sitting outdoors.

In the afternoon, John, Dave and I did go to the Marina di Vecchiano beach.  From Migliarino, just follow the signs.  It's probably about a 10 minute drive from our apartment - a mile or so past the first parking lot at the sharp right hand curve.  The road (right) is rough in places but tree covered and actually a very nice drive. It is supposed to cost 1 € an hour or 3 € for half a day (8 AM - 2 PM, or 2 - 8 PM) for parking, but all of the meters were marked with the Italian equivalent of "out of order" so we followed everyone else and just parked for free.  (I am guessing that they will be fixed by the beginning of the next season!)  


There were chairs and umbrellas for rent but we just used our towels since we were only there for a few hours.  For a weekday afternoon it was pretty full.  We did observe some topless women but not as many as we had been led to believe by other reports.  It also came complete with the ubiquitous "beach vendors."  We were offered purses, jewelry and foot massages.  But, as we have experienced in other places, a simple "No, Grazie" kept them at bay.  I love that we could be on such a sunny warm beach and see the mountains so close to our north.  Lots of dogs and kids were having a good time.  It is obviously very popular during the summer season since, several miles away, at the roundabout near the Fattoria, there is an electronic sign indicating when the parking lot is full.  Even in September, there was steady traffic heading that way on the weekends.





After the swim, we stopped at the Margherita Conad grocery story in town (take a left just past the pink church - do NOT take another left after that: the sign is pointing to the right but its location is misleading) and picked up a few more supplies.  We were able to get everything we really needed right there, but it was interesting that we were unable to find oatmeal or peanut butter at any of the stores we visited - different cultures, different staple foods.   I made pasta with sauce and we added wine, salad and bread (Italian, of course) for supper which we ate out on the patio behind the apartment.  We went to bed relatively early to be up for Florence tomorrow.