February in Italy, 2026

Watching the Olympic Games in Italy these past few weeks, one would think all of Italy was a snowy alpine landscape. 

Lots of snow in and around Cortina d”Ampezzo for the Olympic Events.

But that is just a small slice of northern Italy and certainly not the case in Lucca, where I returned last week to wet and windy weather.  Not a snowflake or an Olympic athlete in sight, just plenty of rain and gray skies. No matter – I love Lucca in February when the city is quiet and mostly tourist free.  And this week has been very quiet, with the excitement of Carnevale now over and the season of Lent just begun.

Only traces of Carnevale remained when I arrived  – a few of the installations around town, along with some left-over confetti sprinkled in the piazzas.  All are getting a bit soggy from the recent days of rain. The paper mâché figures in the train (pictured below) are looking a bit scary as they slowly decompose.

Here in Lucca, even school kids know to carry umbrellas. This group certainly needed them when their school let out for lunch break on a rainy winter afternoon.

In this sleepy period between Carnevale and Easter most of the color comes not from floats and dancers, nor from spring flowers. Right now the color comes mostly from umbrellas.  Though I am happy to report that after two solid days of rain, today we have clear blue skies and temps in the 50’s. Tuscan blue is the perfect sky color.

February weather is just right for a caffè in an uncrowded bar, dinner with friends, or to watch Italy’s next big event on TV.

The San Remo Music Festival begins on February 24th, with 5 nights of televised musical performances.  Singers will perform original songs and eventually a winner will be chosen, in part from viewers’ votes.  The winner will represent Italy in the big Eurovision competition in May.  Past winners include some of Italy’s biggest musical stars and most popular songs.

This year a series of promotional TV ads, named Tutti Cantano San Remo (Everyone Sings San Remo), was filmed in the piazzas of 7 cities across Italy.  Each used local musicians and singers, in flash mob type sequences, singing well known Italian songs. 

Lucca was one of the chosen cities (along with Trento, Parma, Torino, Pesaro, Roma, and Cosenza) and many of us turned out to watch the filming. The ads are running now on Rai TV in the lead up to the festival.  It’s always fun to see the finished product, much more polished than the multiple takes we watched during filming. For a look at the ads, the San Remo Festival has a Facebook page, or just google Tutti Cantano San Remo - the ads are really fun.

As February winds down, I will begin to dream of Magnolia blossoms, warming skies, signs of spring, and an upcoming trip to Trieste in March.  But for now, I will just enjoy catching up with friends, sipping a cappuccino, and being out and about during Lucca’s quiet season, rain or shine.

Is there any color more beautiful than the blue of a Tuscan sky? Even the bare trees look gorgeous on a February day against a cloudless blue sky in Lucca.

Carnevale!

For the last couple of weeks Lucca has been full of events related to Carnevale, including my favorite - the parade along Lucca’s walls. It is a fun procession full of small floats (on loan from the big event in nearby Viareggio), elaborately costumed dancers, acrobats, and music. Spectators young and old line the walls to watch and party along with the performers.

The parade, along with other Carnevale events, is a bit of wild abandonment before the start of Lent. But I am missing all of it as I am currently in New Mexico ! Fortunately, I have friends in Lucca who keep me connected by sharing photos.

As this blog posts, on Monday morning February 16th, I will be boarding a plane to head back to Italy - 3 flights over about 21 hours. I should arrive tomorrow, jet lagged but ready to catch the tail end of the Carnevale events. Fingers crossed I arrive in time for some of the fun and that I will have some more photos to share!

In the meantime - a big thanks to Candace Grass for these photos!

High Tea, Italian Style

The Marriott Grand Universe Hotel, Lucca

Lucca is a small town.  Unlike Florence or Rome it does not have a lot of high-end, super fancy hotels. There is however the Grand Universe, a Marriott branded hotel which was remodeled a few years ago from a classic though dated local hotel to a modern, upscale destination spot.  The roof top Champagne bar has amazing views and drink prices that may make you think you are in Rome.   It is a treat, but not my usual hangout.

What I did not know about the hotel is that they serve a lovely, and very reasonably priced, English-style afternoon tea.  Who knew !  Luckily, a friend of mine did and invited me to tea on a rainy early winter afternoon. Fancy teas are one of my favorite special occasion things to do, a posh break from everyday life.  There is a fabulous tearoom back in New Mexico, a must when I am there at Christmas time.  I’ve enjoyed tea on many travels over the years – England (of course), Paris, Budapest.   I have loved the high teas served on Viking Ocean cruises.  How is it that I had no idea about the elegant high tea served right here in Lucca?  A terrible miss on my part!

Without a doubt the Grand Universe serves the most bountiful tea I’ve ever been served.  More like a 4 (or 5) course meal.  Not that I am complaining!  Now, if you are one of those people that really do not like reading about food, or seeing photos of food, I recommend skipping the rest of this post because from here on out it is all about the food.

The tea service began with the opportunity to select from a variety of teas.  Darjeeling was my choice, loose tea leaves steeped in individual pots with slices of lemon or milk alongside.  While we waited for the tea to steep, the food began to arrive.   A classic 3 tier tray came first.  On top, savories.  There were 5 types of small tea sandwiches.  Some classic – triangles of cucumber with a creamy cheese and one with ham and mustard. 

There was a thinly sliced salmon on whole grain bread, one with bacon on a mini whole grain croissant, and an open faced avocado sandwich on a crispy sesame bread.  Luckily these were small – but they could have been a lunch all by themselves.  The next tier held some small pastries and the bottom tier was desserts.

On a return visit in December with a group of 4, platters took the place of the tiered serving dish and the selections were a bit different, but equally delicious.

Scones are a must a team so of course there were scones. They were served with cream and a house-made strawberry jam.  Wonderful!

Next were a variety of sweets – bite sized tarts (lemon, berry, cream-filled, orange) and larger individual apple tarts.   

Sounds like a full tea, right ? Not quite.  The chef appeared with a plate full of house made shortbread. Not one or two pieces, more like a dozen and way too many to eat after an already abundant tea.   Luckily the server offered to-go boxes and these perfect buttery cookies were tasty the next day alongside some coffee. 

On my second visit I told the chef how much I had enjoyed his shortbread and he graciously shared a copy of the recipe. I hope mine turn out half as good! 

And just when we thought we were finished, tea concluded with a final surprise - slices of a strawberry cream cake.

No way could we finish all the food served - but the leftovers meant a nice home tea the next day.

I was glad my friend warned me to skip lunch and arrive hungry!  On my return visit I gave my group of friends the same advice.  Each time we were glad to have those to-go boxes. 

Whether as an escape from an otherwise dreary November day, to celebrate a special occasion, or as part of a holiday celebration, tea at the Grand Universe is a treat.  And at €25 per person it is also an affordable luxury.

December Markets

Palazzo Sani’s Meraki Market

Lucca is a busy place in the weeks leading up to the winter holidays.  Along with the tree lightings, street music, holiday processions, and Christmas concerts, there are a number of temporary markets. On the first weekend of December I counted 5 different markets. It was a full day visiting all of them!

The first stop was in Palazzo Sani for the Meraki Market.  This annual market was filled with handcrafted goods by local artisans.  It was the perfect place to shop for ceramics, hand painted paper goods, beautiful knit or felted hats and scarfs, wooden objects, and pretty linens - all within a centuries old palazzo. 

 Next stop, Piazza Anfiteatro. This large outdoor space was once the site of a Roman Amphitheater.  These days it maintains the original oval shape but is ringed with shops, restaurants, and wine bars.  A large, modern Christmas tree sits in the center of the piazza and, on the first weekend of December, visitors to the chocolate market filled the piazza.

Chocolate in just about every form possible made an appearance.  There were several booths offering  cioccolata calda con panna  (hot chocolate with whipped cream).  Others offered chocolate bars, discs, truffles, and fruits dipped in chocolate.  There were special shapes and lollipops, even chocolate “salami”.  Not a chocolate lover?  Other options included ciambelle (Italian donuts rolled in sugar), crepes, and mulled wine.  A little something for every taste.

The third market was in Piazza San Frediano.  The small piazza was filled with wooden huts, very much a traditional Christmas market look. As always, the backdrop of the church with it’s wonderful mosaics, added to the scene.

For sale were a variety of foods (necci!), drinks, jewelry, and crafts. There was no shortage of Christmas decorations, including presepe figurines. Though small, this felt like the most authentic and local Christmas market - definitely my favorite!

The smallest market filled Piazza San Giusto.  Less a holiday market than an arts and crafts fair, this was a good place to shop for gifts - turned wood pens, colorful decorative pieces, art, and jewelry.

Piazza San Giusto craft market

The last market was the French Market which filled Lucca’s largest piazza, Piazza Napoleone.  This is the city’s largest Christmas Market and it will remain open throughout December.

A taste of a French Christmas in Lucca

The booths are all decorated for Christmas, but, as this is a French themed market, the signs say Joyeaux Noel (instead of the Italian Buon Natale) and the products are traditionally French.  It is like stepping into a neighborhood in Paris during the holidays.  The market has a little bit of everything, from French linens to lavender scented soaps and lotions. 

There was a definite emphasis on food at this market.  One booth is a French bakery with croissants, baguettes, quiches, and delicate French pastries.  Another is filled with French cheeses.  One sells just about every type of French cookie imaginable.  There is a booth filled with spices, teas, and coffee beans.  If you need some French jam or honey, that is here too.  It is impossible to go hungry at the December French Market, but totally possible to go home with a bag full of goodies.

Hats and scarfs?  There is a booth for that. Jewelry? Check. Hot chocolate or hot mulled wine? Of course.  And for a little time out, watch the Carousel in the piazza which is decorated for Christmas and filled with happy children.

Wandering the December markets in Lucca made for a fun weekend filled with holiday spirit.

A quick note: I recently realized that I had a lot of email from readers sent to a gmail account. That account was acquired in setting up the blog but it is not one I ever use, in fact I forgot it even existed. So, if I haven’t answered an email you sent me it is simply because I never saw it! I promise to respond if you use this email address - jobartram@comcast.net

The Italian Holiday Calendar

This Babbo Natale, much like Santa Claus, greets people as the enter the Caffè Santa Zita in Lucca

The holiday calendar in Italy is a little different than the one found in the United States. In the US, the holiday season begins in late November with Thanksgiving and then moves through a multicultural series of celebrations – most years Hanukkah comes first, then Winter Solstice, next is Christmas, followed by Kwanzaa, and ending with New Year’s Day.  We may sing about the 12 days of Christmas, but by December 26th many Americans are back to work with only a day off coming for the New Year. The American holidays have a blend of religious, cultural, and family significance and tradition. Individuals may celebrate none of the holidays, only one, or any combination. Thanksgiving and New Year’s are US public holidays.  Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, and Kwanzaa are not. But what about Christmas? It would make sense that, as a religious celebration, it would not be a public holiday in the US and yet it is – well, sort of. The required separation of the religious and civic holidays was maintained by the 1870 law that created a federal holiday on December 25th. It is in fact, by US law, not exactly a Christmas holiday at all but rather the “December 25th holiday”. No such legal gymnastics are required in Italy!

Piazza Napoleone, Lucca was one of the first places to find holiday decorations this year

Lucca’s largest Christmas tree, in piazza San Michele, arrived in late November

Here in Italy there is no Thanksgiving to mark the start of the holiday calendar.  Another difference is that there seems to be much less multiculturalism in how the holidays are celebrated, at least in the smaller towns.  In Lucca, I have not seen Hanukkah or Kwanzaa celebrations, and those days are not considered public holidays, though there are certainly families who celebrate them.  It may be different in the bigger cities, but here the big holiday celebrations are all about Christmas.

The official start of the season is December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  In Italy it is both a religious and a public holiday, a duality that is not at all unusual here.  Traditionally, that day is when the Christmas tree goes up and the Presepe (nativity scene) appears. But much like in the US, the season unofficially begins a bit earlier.   

First to appear are the decorated shop windows..  We may not have a big Macy’s display window here in Lucca, but the small shop windows are wonderfully decked out.  Walking through town to see the Christmas windows is one of my favorite holiday activities.

By the 4th week of November Lucca’s streets are hung with tiny white lights and overhead decorations. Larger holiday installations appear throughout the city and displays of stars, snowflakes, or other symbols of the season are projected onto the sides of the city’s medieval buildings. 

Other holiday events in late November / early December in Lucca include the opening of a temporary ice-skating rink, the start of the Christmas market in Piazza Napoleone (this year’s market features French products), and the lighting of the big Christmas tree in Piazza San Michele.

A big crowd turned out for the tree lighting ceremony

Throughout December the seasonal magic continues with concerts and street music, processions, Presepe, special markets, children’s activities including the Casa di Babbo Natale (Father Christmas’s house), and all the lights and sparkle that one little Italian Medieval town can muster.   Add in the various social events with friends and the whole month will be filled with activities. We’ll rest in January!  

It all comes to an end on January 5th and 6th with the celebration of La Befana, the Christmas witch.  On the evening of the 5th, Befana (perhaps several of them) will wander the historic center of Lucca.  On the 6th, Befana arrives for the children in Piazza San Francesco. Descending from a roof top (with the help of a crane and the fire department), she brings stockings full of candy to the children.  It is always fun to watch her arrival, surrounded by some very excited children. My own Befana keeps watch in my apartment throughout the season.

It’s December – let the holiday magic begin wherever and however you choose to celebrate the season.