We Learn a Thing or Two

Even though Cindy and Mark have not spent a lot of time in Lucca, they have taught us a thing or two about the city since they’ve been here. 

Before we came, we had read that Lucca is quiet at night, with not much nightlife.  That’s not an issue for us, because Shelley is generally early to bed and early to rise, and most days we have gone to dinner, returned to the apartment between 8 and 9, and then hung out reading.  The one exception was the night of the Eagles concert, and downtown was crowded and hopping.  We assumed that was related to the concert.

Now we’re not so sure.  We have been out later the past two evenings, for the concert on Thursday night and for dinner last night, and both nights there was a lot going on.  It was after 11 when we walked back to the apartment two night ago, and more like 10:30 last night, and both nights the streets were filled with people, with a fair number of stores, not just gelateria, open and doing business.  It wasn’t loud or crazy, just active and kind of fun.

Cindy and Mark also expanded our geographical awareness, and as a result our culinary experience.  For dinner most nights Shelley and I have been walking around and picking a place that looks interesting, never eating at the same place twice, and just the other night I wondered out loud if there were streets and areas off the main shopping area that we had missed.

Yesterday Cindy and Mark were researching restaurants using TripAdvisor.com, and found a place a short walk from here that looked interesting, Osteria da Pasquale.  Pasquale is the owner, and the website gave him high marks for his personal touch and involvement in everything that happens at the restaurant.  They tried to find it during the afternoon while out shopping but couldn’t, but as reservations were recommended, we decided to check it out on our way to dinner last night in hopes of eating there tonight.  We took a right off Via Fillungo onto Via San Giorgio, one of the first right turns  as we walk down Fillungo from our apartment. Like many Lucca streets, it looks more like an alley than any kind of a thoroughfare, and when you look down it there are no obvious shops or cafes, so I’m not sure we’ve ever been down there. 

Osteria da Pasquale is located on a little side street, and I’m not sure we would have noticed it had we not had the address and been looking for it.  The outdoor dining area is in the back, so not easily seen.  We were planning to just check it out, but the owner led us back and seated us at a table for five, as he thought we had reservations.  When he learned we were not that party, he moved us to a different table where the group was half an hour late.  Of course thirty seconds later they showed up, so we moved to our third table in two minutes.

Pasquale was our server, and gave us good care and advice about everything from our wine choice to which antipasti to choose.  He strongly suggested that we order the chef’s special of five small appetizers, so we ordered one of those and eggplant parmisan for the girls.  For the main course Cindy and Shelley ordered fish, Mark had ravioli, and I ordered the sirloin steak with mushrooms.  I find it interesting that the couple of times I’ve ordered beef it comes already sliced, whereas every time I’ve had pizza I’ve had to slice it myself, the complete opposite of what you would find in the United States.  All of it was good, including the small complimentary desserts that were brought out at the end of the meal, just enough of a taste to complete the evening.  Or almost complete the evening.  As we were paying and walking out, Pasquale offered us a taste, closer to a glass, of 50-year old Grappa, an Italian brandy made from the seeds, stalks, and stems of grapes used in making wine.  Shelley and I settled for a sip, and it was smooth and strong.

It was a great official ending to a good day, although Cindy, Mark, and I went into overtime if not overdrive, staying up til 1 a.m. to talk and have a nightcap.

We were worried that our life in Lucca wasn’t exciting  or busy enough for our guests, and I’ll leave it to them whether or not that is in fact the case, but I think they actually enjoyed a little down time after their flight the previous day.  I asked them at dinner if they had learned to put up with the constant travel from experience or whether they were born more able to tolerate the travel than Shelley and I are.  Whatever the answer, they used the first part of the day to catch up on sleep and reading, then walked around the wall with Shelley.  We went out for a late lunch, where I caught grief for choosing a Coke as my beverage and got a picture taken by Cindy labeling me a wimp.  Fortunately I long ago became comfortable with my wimpiness and am not easily embarrassed.

The one unresolved issue yesterday was that Randolph-Macon College, the alma mater for all of us other than Mark (U.Va.), recently sent out a mailing asking alumni to put pictures from locations around the globe on the Randolph-Macon Facebook page with the Randolph-Macon banner prominently displayed.  We’re trying to make sure they have one of the Lucca YellowJackets.