Two Parts Italy

Watching kids enjoy the *giostra* (carousel) on nice days is a good pastime.

It’s important to make the most of the cold January days in Lucca, even the rainy ones.

While the heavy periods of rain have definitely kept me indoors at times, lighter rains and clear periods see me heading out for walks, window shopping, photography, meeting up with friends, watching the giostra (carousel) go round and round, and looking for general inspiration.

The monthly antiques market was a great diversion in between rain showers on a cold and cloudy day earlier this month. Many of the vendors are the same from month to month, but a scavenger hunt to search for new and unusual finds is always fun.

Cooking is a good rainy-day activity and, after finding some really nice guanciale in the market, I’ve been working on perfecting my pasta carbonara skills. But sometimes eating out is a good rainy-day activity too.

Pasta is cold weather comfort food and Macelleria Pucci is a butcher shop / restaurant that makes a great southern Italian spaghetti with polpettini (little meatballs). Lunch there with friends was a treat as it is unusual to find this dish in northern Italy. I requires lots of rainy afternoon walks to balance out those pasta calories!

Catching up with friends after being away from Italy over the holidays has been great too. Lucca has lots of cafes, perfect for meeting over a cup of coffee, pot of tea, or glass of wine. The indoor cafes are warm and cozy and have led to some great chats about world issues with locals at the next tables. It is always interesting to get the Italian perspective on US and World events. And it is great for practicing my Italian.

A stop at the Saturday flower market, on one of the few sunny days this past weekend, brought a touch of spring and some bright color into my apartment, a necessity on these winter days.

The Saturday flower market in Piazza San Michele is great in any season

One of my favorite winter cold weather activities is planning spring travel and I’ve been busy doing just that. Spring in Emilia- Romagna and Umbria is a welcome thought on these cold days. And the planning is almost as much fun as the travel will be.

My book club selection for the month is The Stolen Lady by Laura Morelli. It has transported me to Florence in the late 1400s and Paris in the 1930s. A great escape on a cold or cloudy day.

And for real escapism, day dreaming about spring blossoms is hard to beat. Photos can make the gray skies fade away and bring a reminder that spring is just around the corner. I think that readers in the frigid parts of the US and Canada might appreciate these reminders as much as I do. Stay warm everyone!

On one cold afternoon I had Via Sant’Andrea all to myself - something that never happens in warmer months

How to best describe January (Gennaio in Italian) in Lucca? Certainly it is tranquilla (calm), especially after all of the December holiday activity. January is a month without crowds. Walking through the quiet town at the beginning of the new year is a treat. It is as if January reclaims Lucca for the locals.

This January arrived with some really cold temperatures and dark, moody skies. Lliving in a 400+ year old brick building, and just above an unheated cantina (cellar), I really feel the cold. Even indoors, a scarf, a fleece vest, and warm socks are standard wear. As for bedtime, an old-fashioned hot water bottle works wonders. I admit that I miss the programmable thermostat in the US that makes my New Mexico condo toasty warm before I get out of bed in the mornings.

Going outside requires winter coats, thick scarfs, warm hats, and gloves even on the days when the skies are a beautiful clear blue. Don’t be fooled into thinking that blue skies = warm weather. Even when the skies are clear, it is cold outside. Especially on Lucca’s Medieval streets which get very little sun on winter days. Best to bundle up when going outside.

Beautiful blue skies - but still really cold!

When the wind blows or the rains come, as they have many days this month, it is hard to stay warm no matter how many layers you put on. These are the January days that are perfect for staying indoors, reading, planning spring travel, and writing. We’ve had quite a few of these days this month.

Cold January weather requires hot drinks – a cappuccino (ask for it molto caldo), a thick hot chocolate (maybe with a touch of whipped cream), or, on an especially cold evening, a ponce mandarino which packs a lot of heat and just enough alcohol to clear the sinuses and warm the soul.

Walking though town this past week, the streets were nearly empty. The outdoor café tables are mostly abandoned, waiting patiently for a sunny day and warmer temperatures. Only a few brave souls sat outside, often clustered around a gas heater. The weekend was a bit livelier, especially because the Antiques Market was in town. Even the damp, dark skies couldn’t keep people away from the monthly market.

Usually a busy cafe, this spot sits quiet and empty in cold January weather.

Lucca’s historic walls are also quiet this time of year. Gone are the summertime crowds, the 4 person pedal-bikes, and the shorts-clad joggers. A few walkers are out, some mothers pushing prams with babies in warm buntings, and an occasional bicyclist. But the bare trees and nearly empty paths paint a picture of cold winter weather.

Along Corso Garibaldi, a street currently lined with leafless Magnolia trees, a close look reveals the beginning of the buds that will burst into bloom in about 6 weeks. A welcome hint of spring.

The rest of January will be filled with quiet activities – I’ve joined a new book club as well as an Italian conversation group. I have a stack of books waiting to be read. I will embrace walks along the walls on crisp days and errands that take me though the quiet streets.

Soon it will be February and Lucca will begin to buzz as we await the beginning of Carnevale.