Italian Tax Codes and Back Roads

There are many steps along the road to becoming Italian, or at least as Italian as “stranieri” (foreigners) can be. For me, one of the first “ah, now I really belong here” moments was when I received my codice fiscale, or tax code. That magic string of letters and numbers, uniquely mine, signified my existence here in Italy. Surely if one has a tax number he or she must be Italian, right?

The tax code is useful for longer term apartment rentals (technically required for rentals of more than 30 days, though not all landlords asked for mine). It’s an absolute necessity if signing an extended contract (one year or the more standard four-year contract) and for setting up bank and utility accounts. So, if planning a long stay in Italy, obtaining a codice fiscale is high on your to-do list.

One of the joys of wandering is finding views like this, as seen from Montecarlo.

There are two ways to obtain the codice fiscale. One is through the Italian consulate in your home country.  The other is to apply for one during a stay in Italy, in the area where you plan to reside.  In Lucca that means a trip to the nearby town of Guamo, about 15 minutes away by car.  I recently went with my co-blogger to Guamo to apply for her codice fiscale. It was an easy process, taking about 30 minutes tops (we arrived right as the office opened to avoid a wait). Be prepared to speak in Italiano.

A monument on the campanile of the Badia (Monastery) di San Salvatore in Vorno

Because we were in and out of the office so quickly, we decided to spend the rest of the day wandering along back roads and ending up .... well .... wherever. Our first stop was in the small village of Vorno. This is a lovely place, full of stone walls, trellises, grape vines, and well-tended villas all set amid beautiful hills and views of distant mountains. We stopped for prima colazione (breakfast Italian style, cappuccino and a sweet) and then explored on foot, ending with a stop at the local church with its interesting campanile (bell tower) and historical monument. Carlo Piaggia, intrepid explorer (his bust is pictured above), sounds like my kind of guy!

The fortezza (fortress) in Montecarlo, Italy

Where to go next?  Our trip through the back roads led us to the small town of Montecarlo, famous for wines and an ancient fortress. 

Montecarlo, Italy

The town was quiet, tourist season still a few weeks away. The uncrowded streets were fun to wander and I was most intrigued by the many interesting doors and windows. Fun to imagine who has passed by them and what lies within.

Montecarlo

What a joy to have an unstructured day to wander the back roads in this part of Tuscany! -Post by JMB

Montecarlo

No Translation Needed

Now that I’m living in Italy, I feel some pressure to improve my Italian language skills. I try to do all of my “business” (shopping, setting up a phone contract, arranging shipping, etc.) in Italian and, thanks to some very, very patient locals, I am mostly successful. I am also taking a weekly semi-private lesson (with my friend Claire) at the wonderful Lucca Italian School (also known as LIS). I have a fabulous teacher in Antonella, who patiently explains (as many times as I need) the use of the passato prossimo versus the imperfetto past tenses, prepositions (oh - the horror of Italian prepositions), and - heaven help me - the use of the congiuntivo. Grazie Antonella and LIS!

Two recent attempts at translation brought unexpected results. First, I went into a home goods store to buy a muffin pan. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out the word for muffin pan and I had forgotten to look it up before leaving home. I found the pan high on a shelf and asked the man working there to please reach it for me.  As he handed it to me, I asked, “Come si chiama questo tipo di teglia in Italiano” (what do you call this type of baking pan in Italian)?  With a quite serious look on his face he answered me -”si chiama teglia di “muffin.” Muffin, no translation needed. We both got a good laugh over that one! 

The pink variety is a visual treat.

Walking through town I noticed beautiful magnolia trees just beginning to bloom along Corso Garibaldi. Pulling out my dictionary, I looked for a translation for magnolia tree.  I know that a hydrangea is an ortensia and a wisteria is a glicine, so surely there should be an Italian word for a magnolia, right? It turns out that in Italy, a magnolia is, well, a magnolia (named for a French botanist). And, although I associate them with the American South, magnolias are actually common in Italy, often growing into huge trees. In March, they light up Lucca with their beautiful white and pink blossoms. 

So - no translation needed - we hope you enjoy these photos of the beautiful magnolias of Lucca.         \

-post by JMB

Two Very Different Lunches in Florence

Florence is an intriguing city, full of wonderful things to see, hear, touch, experience, and taste. It is also a city bursting at the seams with tourists, which means it is chaotic, crowded, and sometimes frustrating. And yet, it’s a city I love and never tire of visiting. It’s also a city where it’s possible to find great food – just visit a neighborhood market with its array of fresh produce, meats, cheeses, breads, and pastas and you’ll see ingredients that make your mouth water.

With fresh ingredients like these (from the Sant’Ambrogio Market) it’s no wonder that Florence is a great city for dining.

This ribollita looked good but was way too salty

The good food continues in the many fine restaurants. But, as is often the case in places popular with tourists, there are some restaurants that don’t live up to Tuscany’s reputation for good food.

In Florence, these are often the larger restaurants found in areas most frequented by visitors. I recently ate in one of these when I found myself tired, hungry for lunch, and in need of a quick escape from some wet and windy weather.  I ducked into a place that I should have known to avoid – wait staff out front pulling in customers, located on a busy, touristy piazza, full of people speaking languages other than Italian.  What was I thinking? I ordered a classic Tuscan soup - ribollita.  It’s hard to mess up this vegetable soup thickened with chunks of bread. Hard, but not impossible as it turns out. The veggies and the consistency were right but this dish was over salted. I needed lots of water to balance out the saltiness. An eggplant dish was no better – heavy on cheese and overcooked. I had only bottled water to drink, no coffee or dessert. The tab was a hefty €32.50. Ouch! This was an expensive and poorly prepared lunch.

Coquinarius is an enoteca with wonderful ambiance, delicious food, and a great wine list.

I simply could not let my trip to Florence end with a memory of bad food, so the next day I had lunch at one of my favorite spots - Coquinarius, an enoteca just a bit off Piazza del Duomo on Via delle Oche. I had eaten here on a previous trip and enjoyed it immensely. Would it be as good as I remembered? The answer was a definite yes!

At Coquinarius I dined sumptuously in a lively and congenial atmosphere. This meal included a glass of wine (a tasty Vernaccia from San Gimignano), bottled water, an appetizer of crostini (toasted bread) with stracchino (a soft cow milk cheese) and salsiccia (sausage) all melty and crisp, a to-die-for pasta filled with pecorino and pear, an apple tart for dessert and a macchiato.

Crostino with stracchino and salsiccia

Little pasta bundles filled with pecorino cheese and pear

Delicious food and a great value too (just 2 euro more than my not-so-good lunch the day before). Not to mention the friendly service, mix of locals and visitors, great music, Italian chatter in the background, and a vibe that made me want to linger - which explains why I stayed for dessert and then a coffee, stretching my lunch to nearly two hours.

Apple “pie” the Italian way

 When heading to Florence the advice is clear - skip the big generic restaurants around the main tourist squares and head for those unique small places. I suggest starting with Coquinarius.  With its wide range of appetizers, salads, pasta dishes, meat and fish main courses, and delicious desserts, you won’t be disappointed. I can’t wait to go back. -post by JMB

Carnevale!

Burlamacco, the offical symbol of Carnevale since 1931. He is based on several figures from the Comedia dell’Arte and his red and white colors reflect the beach umbrellas of Viareggio.

In Italy, you just about have time to catch your breath after the festivities of the new year and Epiphany when you begin to see signs that Carnevale - the raucous month-long celebration that precedes the beginning of Lent - is upon you.

The dates vary depending on when Lent begins. This year March 6 is the first day of Lent, so the Carnevale celebrations occur from late February to March 5 (Fat Tuesday).

And what celebrations they are! Colorful, noisy, fun - Carnevale is the ultimate late winter party.

In Italy, the largest and most famous Carnevale celebrations are in Venice and Viareggio, though many other towns also have impressive Carnevale events.

Each city’s celebration has a unique character. In Viareggio, the parade floats are known for political and social themes, making great use of satire and allegory to express current issues and, perhaps, rattle a few cages.

The return of fascism

Recognize any of these Italian politicans?

The master drone

The Carnevale parade in Viareggio occurs on five days - one day each weekend for the four weeks preceding Lent and the final parade on Fat Tuesday. Viareggio is not far from Lucca (about 25 minutes by car and 40 by bus) so it was the perfect place to experience my first Carnevale celebration. And the fact that the parade route covers a 1.25-mile stretch along Viareggio’s famous seaside promenade was an added bonus.

The Siren - with her false mask - luring us all into perilous waters.

One of the largest floats - beautiful against a blue sky

The parade kicked off with an announcement of “Buon Carnevale,” a brass band complete with baton twirlers, and lots of excitement from the crowd.

What followed was a feast for the eyes - huge, colorful, animated paper mache creations that moved along the parade circuit accompanied by performers and often smoke, glitter, pyrotechnics, and music.

There was colorful confetti - lots of confetti - sold by the bagful to spectators who flung it all about. Not to worry - in the name of environmental awareness, this was a plastic-free event and all the confetti recyclable paper.

The floats, chosen based on sketches submitted in advance, expressed current parade themes (this year celebrated women) and relevant social issues. Below are three of the sketches that were chosen and became floats in this year’s parade. You can see the the Italians find the current U.S. president to be a good subject for politically themed entries.

Mind Pollution

Medusa

Moon Dream

This year’s entries addressed themes of bullying, environmental pollution, and migration, as well as Italian and American politics.

High Tide (Ocean Pollution)

A Raft of Migrants

The Pack (anti-bullying message)

Other floats and performers represented the classical Carnevale theme of clowns and comedia dell’arte figures. In addition to the large floats, which take a small army of handlers to animate, there are many smaller “one-man” creations that join the parade.

Parade spectators are part of the show as many dress in colorful wigs, as clowns, or in other costumes. The celebration is family friendly and some of the best costumes are worn by the children or entire families. Spectators can sit in grandstands to watch the parade but many simply stand along the parade route and are free to join in the procession. The atmosphere is vivacious and noisy and crowded but also very safe. I loved every minute.

Having experienced my first Carnevale in Viareggio, I’m thinking that Venice might be just the spot for Carnevale 2020. Anyone want to join me? -post by JMB

Winter in Lucca

The big snow of 2018 created a magical winter tableau. We’re still waiting for snow this year. Photo by David Priest, used with permission.

Winter in Lucca – short days, chilly to downright cold temperatures, bare tree branches and vines, rain (sometimes LOTS of rain), and occasional snow. The weeks after the end of the holiday season, between Epiphany in early January and the beginning of Carnevale in late February / early March are quiet. This is time to catch one’s breath and rest after the hectic holidays. The city of Lucca is resting too. There are fewer tourists in general and a notable absence of larger tour groups wandering through the streets.

Spring, with a promise of sunny days and the emergence of green leaves and flowers, feels a long way off. The big summer music festival is months away, though the advertising has many people here excited with anticipation – Elton John in June, Sting in July – something to look forward to on long winter evenings.

Bare wisteria vines await the blooms of spring

While it is definitely “off season” here in Lucca, there is still a lot going on, which makes winter a pleasurable time of year. The cold temperatures are invigorating (so different than the milder winters of New Mexico). I now have a collection of hats and scarves and happily venture out even when the temperatures are low or it is dark outside. The cafes have mostly pulled their tables indoors but they remain open and people still meet for the evening aperitivo hour – though the bright orange of a summer spritz has mostly given way to glasses of wine and warm drinks.

Bundled up to shop at the outdoor Saturday market

The local markets continue throughout winter. At the antiques market, shoppers dress warmly to browse furniture, linens, books, tableware, clothing, and assorted collectibles. I’ve done a bit of shopping there this winter – a tablecloth for my terrace awaits warmer weather, a pretty glass vase graces my dining room table, and colorful digestivo glasses make me smile every time I see them.

The weekly household market, just outside the walls in Piazzale Don Baroni, sells everything from shoes to lightbulbs, frying pans to bras. There are also plenty of flowers to buy and food products (including meats, cheeses, honey, fresh fish, nuts, and beautiful oranges and clementines from Sicily).

Lucca’s wall as seen from a window at Lucca Italian School

Lucca is known for its music, which continues even at this time of year. The Associazione Musicale Lucchese has concerts scheduled throughout winter – often in the small theater of the Boccherini Institute. 

There are also performances at the Teatro del Giglio – opera, plays, concerts.

And, of course, Lucca Italian School is still busy with students who have come to study Italian during the quiet season.

In addition to these activities, winter in Lucca is simply beautiful. Picture walks through uncrowded Medieval streets, strolls along the wall on bright winter afternoons, dazzling winter sunsets, and distant views of snow-capped mountains – that is winter in Lucca.  I’m still hoping for a dusting of snow. -post by JMB

A sunny winter day on the walls

Distant snow capped mountains

Winter sunset