We are moving on!

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Ciao, from Lucca!

I do need to catch up a bit, first on last night’s wonderful dinner at Café Za-Za, then this morning’s return engagement to the Archeological Museum to re-take photographs and finally, on our train ride to Lucca  and lunch.  Then, I will re-post later tonight (if I don’t fall asleep) about walking the walls and wherever we end up for dinner!  So!  Ready?

Seating area at Cafe Za-Za

R's tenderloin with potatoes

R's artichoke appetizer

My chicken w/truffles and fries

We went back to Café Za-Za last night, at Florence’s Central Market.  And yet again, the food was absolutely fabulous!  I did a repeat of my prior evening’s fresh tomatoes on bruschetta with truffles; YUM, and R had a Roman artichoke, his favorite.  For mains, R had an absolutely breathtaking tenderloin of beef, perfectly cooked somewhere between rare and medium rare, along with rosemary potatoes.  I ordered their chicken breast, boneless and skinless, which was pounded and then lightly breaded and served in a wonderful truffle sauce.  I am probably boring about truffles, but a restaurant that has an entire truffle menu is my kind of place!  We washed everything down with another bottle of white Pecorino, and were way too full to even think about dessert … although we each did have a small glass of lemoncello!  By the time we left the restaurant, it was actually quite cool, and I was even wishing I had brought a jacket or my sweater!  Wow!  Back to the hotel then, and there was a soccer game on TV!  (The first television we have watched since leaving the U.S.)  It was Juventus of Torino vs. Real Madrid in one of the semi-finals of the U.E.F.A. Champions League – and Juve won!  (In the olden days, before the coming of Leo Messi – best soccer player in the world, who plays for Barcelona –  I was a real Juve fan.)  Now I can definitely see a problem coming up!  In the final game, which comes the beginning of June, it will be my two teams – Juve and Barca against each other!!  Well, at least I know that “I’ll” win!!  Can’t get much better than that!

Off to sleep eventually, although the square outside our window was much rowdier last night than the two previous ones.  Woke this morning about 6, bathed and down to breakfast when they opened the breakfast room at 7 a.m.  It looks like the Rick Steves tour people may be leaving this morning, and heading down to Rome.  So…off to the Archeological Museum.

Etruscan cameo carved in stone

Etruscan flag standard

R was so bummed about the camera the other day that he really wanted to go back and take pictures for the blog!  So, we were there when the door opened – easy to get to, as it was right across the plaza from the hotel.  This time, we had the place to ourselves for more than an hour, as we revisited old friends and saw other things we had missed the first time around! 

Various Etruscan decorated pottery

Stunning and intricate pin; it's beautiful!

Etruscan vase

(Which made me glad that we went back, as some of those things I wouldn’t have wanted to miss at all!)  We finally hit a tour group when we were finishing up the first floor (called “second floor” in the U.S.) and by the time we had finished and headed out, there were probably four more classes of kids of various ages all clamoring around making an incredible din!  So!  The Brucato Mantra:  “Be there when things open” worked again!

Sarcophagus for married couple

Huge lion with goat coming out of his back!

Sarcophagus of an Etruscan lady

Back to the hotel, time about 10:15-ish.  We had had everything packed and ready to go, so just had to grab the suitcases and head downstairs, where they were calling a taxi for us.  Taxi arrived in minutes, and we were whisked quickly away to Santa Maria Novella, the central train station in Florence.

Walked in to the usual crush of people; a huge long line waiting to buy tickets, and lines behind all the independent ticket machines on the walls.  However, I did remember, from the last time that I needed to get from Florence to Lucca, that one could buy tickets at the Tobacco Stand – so I side-stepped all the lines, found the tobacco stand, and si! One could still by tickets to Lucca there!  So, 14.40€ later, we had our tickets and now just needed to find a train.

Beautiful painted sarcophagus

Had to wait until 11:38 a.m. to get a direct train, but it actually takes a little short of two hours to make the 45 mile journey – with a stop at every little possible place along the way!  Train was called about 11:15 a.m., track 5, and out we went.  Lovely two-level train, very new but again, with very little luggage storage space.  We actually got on the first car and were able to put the cases in an open area behind the seating.  Comfortable seating, and right on time, off we went.  As I say, we stopped … and we stopped … but finally, about 1:20 p.m. we came in to Lucca.  We were able to get a cab right out in front of the station, and into the walled city we went.  The taxi was able to get us about 20 feet from our door – but he had to stop because of tables and chairs for an outside café. 

Etruscan gold jewelry and pins

So, we found Arena B & B, run by Alex (who I think may be British) and his Italian wife, Livia.  It’s only four rooms, but ours has a tiny balcony that actually looks out on the anfitheatro – the lovely circle right in the middle of town.  The front door is on the outside of the anfitheatro. 

Balcony of our B&B room overlooking piazza

View from balcony over piazza

Arena, our room, has a huge king-size bed, and a lovely bathroom.  Other than that, it’s fairly tiny, and we don’t have any room to unpack our things … oh well!  It’s nicely insulated and has air conditioning, so we both feel we’ll do just fine here until Monday morning, when we head for Pisa airport.  I tried to arrange things as best I could in the space available, and R set up the computer – voila, internet, Google, email!  Who could ask for more?

R at desk setting up computer

Lovely bed, but not a lot of room!

R at lunch; great ceiling!

Then, as it was now a bit after 2 p.m. we headed outside to find some lunch.  Almost right across the way from our B&B, we found Osteria Baralla.  Absolutely stunning interior – the brickwork is superb!  I ordered bresaola salad (yes, again; I love it!!) and R had carpaccio – and to be honest, they both came with arugula and parmesan, and looked very much alike!  Then, after the salads, we split an artichoke with Pecorino cheese – and it was amazing!  Someone had dissected the entire artichoke and then mixed it with the cheese; it was then broiled.  Wow!  We’re definitely going to have to learn how to make that!  It was fabulous! 

Me at lunch!

R's carpaccio

My bresaola

Wonderful baked artichoke with cheese!

I had wanted to take a walk around the walls (it’s about 4 km) but when questioned closely, decided that a nap would be preferable first.  Oh yes…and more gelato!  This time stracciatella and something called “nero maximo” – VERY dark chocolate!  Wonderful combination!  Then back to the B&B, upstairs and a wonderful two hour nap!  We’re moving now, and as soon as I get this blog posted, we’re out again to the walls with camera!

So…more later!

m

xxx