Two Parts Italy

October is when the crowds in Lucca begin to thin a bit. There is a marked shift in the air – over are the special events of the Settembre Lucchese festival month. The evenings and early mornings are chilly, and this year the days are wonderfully sunny and warm. The early mornings and late evenings are a crowd-free breath of fresh air.

Life is normal - the olives have been harvested and the new oil has arrived, the markets are full of fall produce, there are morning coffees with friends, children play in the parks and ride the carousel, there are small concerts, and the streets are a little quieter. We can feel fall creeping in with the falling leaves.

But we also can’t miss the signs that say we should enjoy these last calm days because chaos is on the way.

A warm October day, before the start of Comics, is the perfect time for a ride on the carousel.

The chaos (my word, others would call it excitement) comes in the form of the approaching Lucca Comics and Games event. The first sign of the chaos to come is the appearance of tents along the walls and in the main piazzas of the city. I think of this as “la stagione delle tende”, the season of the tents. It is a short but intense season here in Lucca. The white tents seem to go up earlier and earlier; they even crept in during the last week of September this year, well before the late October start date for Comics. The smaller tents materialized first up on the walls, but soon the sound of larger ones being erected rang out in Piazza Napoleone, Piazza San Martino, Piazza Santa Maria, and even in the historic Piazza Anfiteatro. Tents don’t make for interesting photos – so I will post just this one !

A beautiful October day along Lucca’s walls in the “season of the tents”

A photo from many years ago, still one of my favorite costumes. Imagine the work it took to create this elaborate dress.

I must admit I have a bah humbug attitude about comics. I hate to see Lucca’s beauty disappear as the tents take center stage and I dread the crowds (100,000 tickets per day!). I generally plan to be out of town for the 5-day event, but this year my plans fell through and so I will be in Lucca throughout Comics. Funny (or perhaps not so funny), but the same thing happened last year as the illness of a friend meant staying in Lucca. It seems the universe laughs at my escape plans and arranges for me to be here. At least it will mean some great photos!

As much as I don’t like the crowds (especially difficult for us short people who can’t see over all the heads), I do plan to approach the event with a good attitude. I have purchased some essentials and my freezer is as full as a tiny Italian freezer can be (negotiating the streets to go shopping is a challenge, best to stock up beforehand). A couple of friends and I hope to escape by bus on some days to one or two of the smaller towns near Lucca (avoiding the packed trains at all costs!). And the early mornings, before all the participants arrive, is a good time for a walk in the crisp October air.

There are some things that I enjoy about Comics. The costumes are amazing and the work that people put into designing them is impressive. There is one fountain in particular where people go specifically to be seen and photographed (top photo). I will try to sneak through the back streets to avoid the masses and arrive there early one day and grab some photos.

And there is one Comics aspect that I truly love – the Steam Punk parades. This year the parades will feature participants showing off their very elaborate Steam Punk style in three scheduled events, each with a unique theme. Count on photos and descriptions in November blog posts

But before comics, I am off on a travel adventure beginning in Budapest and ending in Passau, Germany. I’ll be back just in time for the chaos (I meant to say fun) of Comics. My camera is about to get a workout with photos from both my October travel and Lucca Comics and Games!