Having failed to find somewhere free to park
last night we have sucked up the cost of a rather nice campsite: Il Serchio.
€20 for 24 hours, but the shade alone makes it worth the price, plus free hook
up and we’re within walking distance of the town, ideal (and a Lidl round the
corner that sells wine at €1.69 a bottle, EEK!). There seems now to be a new
trend amongst fellow camper van types (FCVTs – remember them?) Gone are the
addiction to chocks, now it seems the humble dressing gown is this weeks ‘in thing’.
Whilst sat supping some local plonk we watch virtually every other person toing
and froing from the shower block dressed in dressing gowns, despite the 35
degree heat. Even blokes. One poor chap was sporting a pink number – surely
this wasn’t a voluntary decision? Another trend we certainly won’t be getting
involved in (Noush disagrees, but that’s just cos she’s got a swishy little
silk number that she likes to parade about in).
The rather unprepossessing outskirts of Lucca
are thankfully not representative of the Lucca that you find within the city
walls. Officially we love Lucca.
After a brief visit to the tourist office
(where we find out about a concert in one of the squares this evening that
oddly they didn’t seem to know about – go figure, and you had to pay nearly a
Euro to visit the toilet – hardly a welcome is it?) we venture into the winding
narrow depths of the walled city. After our recent experiences we expected
Lucca to be packed, but whilst it’s pleasantly buzzing the place actually seems
quiet. There are old shops that have been there for generations: tiny places
selling niche local products and wonderful mysterious things. After escaping
back to the campsite to shelter from the scorching heat that seems to be
trapped and still within the city walls we venture back in the evening. We
wander through the boho district where flickering flames in sconces throw
shadows along the high stone walls. The doors of the art and fabric shops are
open and welcoming and the owners stand about, drinking wine, talking to each
other and generally pretending to work. Rounding one street corner we surprised
to stumble on 3 guys (who I’m sure were shop owners) knocking out blues tunes!
We find the Debussy concert, thankfully this
actually is taking place (fictional light show in Epernay anyone?), rather
disappointingly it is inside, albeit in the rather grand Place Ducale. Poor Mr
Organiser man is zooming around getting it all sorted at the last minute (so
Italian!). Feel rather guilty opting for Debussy over Puccini, being as Puccini
was born here, but what can you do? Debussy was free.. Lovely concert, amazing
sax player (started off like a big breathy gobbling fish, but soon settled
down) and a beautiful piano solo sets us up for a romantic stroll back through
the town, past the blues players on the corner and finally to bed. Lucca has
been kind to us indeed.
