Days 14 and 15

Days 14 and 15 were two more days in a row without rain, but it’s still a bit cold. 

On these two days, we used the one-speed bikes provided for us at our apartment and rode loops around the top of the wall. It’s such a fun activity!  The only problem is that, even though it’s a wide road, there’s no rule (or even suggestion) about staying to the right, so people are walking, running, and biking in all directions.  This picture was captured at a rare moment, and the bike rider had to peddle very fast before the crowds returned.  We love our bike shopping baskets.

Each day we shop at the local shops for our food for the two meals we eat in our apartment, usually breakfast and lunch. Each day after breakfast we head to our favorite bar for cafe’ and a pastry. Here in Italy, a bar is where everyone gets their coffee, pastry, fresh-squeezed juice, and perhaps a breakfast sandwich in the morning. At noon, it’s where people get a sandwich, wine, or cafe’, and of course for the rest of the day it’s the same. The locals usually just stand at the bar and swallow their espressos quickly and eat their pastry. Others, like us, usually sit at a tiny table inside or outside. Prices vary greatly, so we tend to avoid the tourist places. 

On the morning of Day 14 we were carrying our market food back to our apartment when we passed a favorite restaurant from past years. Of course it was closed at that time of day, but Sara, one of the owners, was sitting outside having coffee. We happened to be carrying a picture of her with the two of us taken the last time we were here (two years ago). We walked over to say hi, showed her the picture, and she immediately knew who we were. She went into the restaurant and came out with HER copy of the picture that we had emailed her. She offered us cafe’, and we accepted...and she sat with us, even though she can’t speak English. It was our Italian that got us through the very simple conversation. We must have sounded like two-year-olds, but it was better than her English. 

Day 14’s dinner was had at Gigi’s, where we had lunch on Day 13. By the time they opened at 7:30 (the normal time for restaurants to open) it was too cold to sit outside, but of course the food was still just as delicious inside.  

Today, Day 15, Roberto got an expensive haircut at a hard to find Italian barber shop. After that, we went to Sara’s place for lunch, sat outside, and ordered our favorite thing, Tortelli Luccese, spinach, a green salad, and wine.  A couple test bites have already occurred prior to picture taking.

Of course, there is always fresh-baked bread. We didn’t see much of Sara, but she came out near the end, sat down with us, and said there would be no charge for our lunch. Isn’t that amazing? 

The reason we ate lunch out instead of dinner is because this evening we went to hear live music in a special church. Every evening of the year there is live classical music from Puccini, who was born here, and sometimes Verdi. in an old church.

Tonight’s program was called “Puccini’s Women, arias and duets from the female characters of Puccini’s Masterworks.” These performances last only an hour, and we really enjoyed it. Puccini was the most famous Italian opera composer. The tickets cost a lot more than they did two years ago, and there were a lot more people. We were able to get seats in the middle of the front row. We couldn’t believe how good the acoustics were. No microphones or speakers were needed.