Days 16 and 17

Most Italians seem to follow one of two sports, soccer or biking.   It was an interesting surprise to witness a ‘new’ sport while in Italy called Urban Golf.  

A couple of players stopped by the restaurant where we were having lunch in their outdoor eating area.  They were carrying one club each and a swatch of artificial turf.  The pinkish little ball was soft rubber, but would go quite a ways if hit correctly.  The white paper was a set of maps for the 18 ‘holes’.  The fairway in the picture above is the narrow street leading to the people you can barely see.  It looks a bit intimidating.  

The piece of astro-turf makes any location playable - Have Turf Will Golf.  The biggest problem is people getting in your way. This picture was taken on top of the wall.

Since the players we saw were all novices, they didn’t get much attention except from a certain paparazzi.  They all seemed to be having a special urban adventure.

We meet lots of interesting people in Italy.  It’s tempting, but we rarely ask to take their picture.  An exception was the man on the right (below). He looks a bit like a movie character - a little like Guiseppe, Pinnochio’s ‘father’.  Instead, he was an Italian math professor, and spends a good part of his retirement days at this piazza (town square) hanging out with his friends.   What a great face and mustache, and he was a very pleasant person to talk to.  The man next to him was a talkative banker.

However, not every conversation we have is successful or completely friendly.  

Our days in Lucca have finally come to an end.  We’ve had plenty of time to relax and enjoy a slower pace of life.  Our apartamento didn’t look like much from the street, but it was very comfortable (deluxe) and spacious on the inside.  As we have said, you can’t judge from the outer facade.

It’s the dark-shuttered yellow building in the center of the photo partially hidden by a tree.

We took one last ride around the wall today.  It seems like many things we see while riding the wall are a slice of Italian life.  This guy is not only getting his riposo, he’s studying for his next big test.

We probably forgot to mention how one’s family includes the family pets, and how dogs are allowed into restaurants with their owners (if well behaved - the dogs).  If the dogs are small enough, they ride on the bike too - if well behaved.

One last ride!  On to Venice tomorrow.