Downs and Ups

When the plane landed in Milan it was teeming rain and fog. We descended through thick clouds for what seemed like ages and then suddenly boom, we were landing. After some airport shenanigans locating my 3 guitars we made our way to passport control. I literally glided past the immigration officer despite having my organised, folder with all my paperwork which I was sure they would demand to see, to prove that I was legitimately allowed to be gracing Italy with my presence. My passport was stamped with barely a glance,  the masses of paperwork not even sniffed at, and then the magical doors into the arrivals area swept open and there I was walking in slow motion, like in some  glamorous shampoo advertisement  officially in Italy. I was so surprised by the non-existent customs screening that my first thought was darn it, I should have packed those boxes of Dilmah tea bags after all!

 We were then met by our lovely driver Giovanni who never went slower than 130km an hour even with the rain and on the most winding mountain roads! Well Italy is home to Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati so I guess it is no surprise that everyone drives like they are in the Grand Prix. I wanted to shut my eyes at times as I  literally felt like I was in one of those old movies  where everything is sped up, probably because I was physically wrecked after that long haul flight and the previous few months of sheer insanity,  but the scenery of the mountains and the villages clinging to the rocky outcrops just took my breath away and I did not want to miss anything.

 As we sped closer and closer to Lucca, past the Apuan and Carrara mountains, through tunnels that last forever, the weather started to change, the clouds and the rain melted away. The trees, vegetation and the light are so different and I kept pinching myself as thoughts swirled around in my head. that wow this beautiful place is actually my home now. I am not going to have to get back on a plane in a few weeks’ time. I live here now and can hopefully explore these beautiful places I am passing, and so, despite my economy class induced exhaustion my mind felt deliriously happy and I just truly felt so excited and incredibly lucky to finally be here.

 We stopped at an Italian petrol station for a break and  it was like the most sublime delicatessen, clothing store and food shop all rolled into one, laden with gourmet cheeses, and meats, beautifully wrapped biscuits, chocolates, clothing and  everything else you could possibly imagine to ensure a  comfortable and very stylish car journey.  This was no Caltex or Coles Express with their Cherry Ripes, Kettle chips and Cheezels. This was enough to induce me out of my jetlag and want to engage in some retail therapy, but time was of the essence. The coffee counter was buzzing and I ordered two takeaway cappuccinos from the lady. She seemed a little confused  by my Italian mumblings, which I am 100% blaming on my Covid facemask and so she referred to another man who was behind the counter who then presumed what I wanted. I  somehow ended up with two hot espressos and two other barely lukewarm coffees that vaguely resembled cappuccinos, and were, to be honest, undrinkable, which in Italy is unfathomable. In all the confusion I then managed to spill one of the unwanted espressos on the counter and it cascaded off the counter all over my white shirt and sneakers. It amazed me that a thimble-full of coffee could create such a brown deluge. I guess petrol station coffee everywhere isn’t the greatest, even in Italy! Nothing like a coffee accident though to bring me back down to earth.

 As we closed in on the walls of Lucca, they looked even more impressive than I remembered and  as we drove under one of the giant porte (gates) I once again pinched myself. Lucca is just breathtaking. The sun was beaming to welcome us on our first day and I just felt joyous to finally be here  after months of dreaming, despite having a poncho wrapped around me to hide my coffee-stained clothing! My first of many clothing incidents.

 Our little Airbnb where we are staying until our things arrive from Melbourne is in a cute little street called Via San Pierino and is in a perfect little spot. It is very comfortable, although the shower is so small you do need to be a contortionist to bathe. Note to self, must get back into some yoga. It is a hop, skip and a jump from one of the main piazzas in Lucca, Piazza Napoleone with it’s beautiful carousel and where there always seems to be something going on.  I have realised it is also just a  minute walk away from where I stayed when I visited Lucca on holiday in 2019 and this whole love affair began.

After some late night research and online ordering mum and I took a walk through the Santa Anna gate to the Fastweb shop to pick up a SIM card for my phone. We passed a cute little coffee bar on the way and stopped for cappuccino and delicious salted panini. Mine had bocconcini tomato and lettuce, the Italian flag in a sandwich, which was chewy and absolutely delicious. The lady and her son were so friendly, and she told me she had lived in Lucca her whole life!  At 73 she barely had a wrinkle on her face, must be la vita Lucca! Also, this time I did get “due cappuccini” exactly as ordered, so clearly my Italian has improved overnight in my sleep!

The Fastweb telecommunications shop was interesting. I explained myself in Italian and the girl behind the counter was very nice although she was carrying out a very long and involved conversation with some guy who was just hanging out in the shop doorway. So long in fact that mum eventually tired of standing up went and sat on a bench in the park while I waited and waited and waited. Thankfully she was multitasking but unfortunately as it turned out, without my carta identica (identity card) which I get when I get my Permesso Soggiorno it is not possible to get the SIM card, but she was very helpful and said I could probably get one at Vodafone who are willing to accept any old stranieri and give them a SIM.

 The main reason for the urgency of getting a SIM was that without it, I cannot use Google Maps without wifi making it difficult to traverse the labyrinth of Lucca's gorgeous laneways. With my first mission a failure and  many screenshots of directions later l I was off to my next conquest. La Questura Polizia.

 At la Questura Polizia one is supposed to present oneself within 8 days of arrival in order to get a Permesso Soggiorno (permission to stay),or at least the paperwork. The nice policeman directed me around the corner to the Questura Immigrazione and I thought now I’m getting somewhere, however my anticipation of success was quickly thwarted on arrival by a sign on the window saying by appointment only. The Italian bureaucracy merry go round has begun!

 It is my own fault really because when I got back home and re-read the informative blog post I had magically discovered on a late night internet surf about getting the Permesso in Lucca, the girl did say that the man at the immigration office gave her a bit of paper saying go get "the kit" at the Post Office. I need to pay more attention to detail!

 So back home for a quick bite and more screenshots later I set off to the post office which turned out to be in a straight line through Piazza Napoleone, where people were enjoying their lunch, and then onwards down a shady cobbled street where behind very unassuming facades or beautiful grand doors were a plethora of artisans, lawyers, quirky shops. Suddenly I was at Italia Post with its blue and yellow logo. Being so accustomed to a red and white logo for so many years it took me by surprise. I took a ticket and after a very friendly exchange with the lady behind the counter I had 2 Permesso kits in my hand. Whoo hoo. 1 mission finally accomplished.

 I walked home this time victorious and through the piazza where the bell tower that I once climbed and had a freak out panic attack in is located. (I thankfully did quickly overcome that freak out by doing some meditation, so never fear) as people munched on divine-looking portions of pasta and the clinking cutlery and plates echoed through the piazza.. I literally felt like skipping for joy as I returned home once again and refreshed myself with a cool glass of Amarena (cherry) cordial in Acqua Frissante. Did I mention that 6 x 1.5 litre bottles of sparkling water cost the equivalent of around $2?  Amazing!

 Around 3:30pm when the shops reopened we trundled off to Vodafone through Porta Santa Anna, under an underpass and eventually arrived at Vodafone where a huge fracas was taking place. As we once again stood waiting, a poor elderly gentleman was having a huge argument with the shop assistant. He was visibly shaking and his wife was beside herself thinking he was going to have a stroke any minute. It is true that when Italians speak often it can sound like they are having an argument but this time it really was one. The young girls in the shop were answering back to him and actually being little shits I thought. My mum settled into a chair to have a rest next to the man’s wife who was trying to talk to mum in Italian and explain the situation something about his modem being merda!. The scene really made me feel very sad for this couple as I have always witnessed in the past a deep respect for the older generation in Italy. I hope that times are not changing for the worse.

 Finally one of the  young girls served me in what was a fairly straightforward procedure, yet took at least half an hour as she was constantly messaging someone on her phone and sending them, photos with her little pink fake nails, tapping furiously on her minscule keyboard. I was once again left thinking how long can it possibly  take to make a photocopy of my passport, take a SIM pack out of the draw and give it to me?  Must… practise… patient… acceptance.. This could be just a mobile phone shop thing where the staff have to be doing something else while serving you because the customer service so far everywhere in Lucca has been impeccable. Nevertheless, another mission accomplished and it is only day 2 after all.

 Later around 5pm while out for a passegiata, I  saw a girl with a bike with the cutest dog just chilling out in her basket. It made me think of my dear little Pandy who was still in transit from Dubai. We started to chat and I found out her name is Laurie from California, she has lived here 13 years, married to an Italian, and her dog's name is Gino. She owns one of the bike shops Amici Bici, just steps away from our accommodation. She is absolutely lovely and as we stood chatting for a while I was suddenly hit on the head from above.  My first thought was the building is so old it’s crumbling but that fear quickly gave way to the actual reality, that there on the ground was the teeniest little sparrow with a giant piece of hard panino (bread roll) twice it's size, which was the projectile that had landed on me. We laughed and laughed and Laurie said  "Welcome to Lucca"

I hope this bread christening incident is a unique Lucchese sign of good luck.