#21: Pageantry in Lucca and a Tower in Pisa

Ciao Nonni,

We've had plenty of fun in the last week, showing our visitor around Lucca and the surrounding region.

Mum's introduction to the pageantry that Lucca is quite partial to occurred at lunchtime on her second day here. We were walking back towards our apartment with the two bambini after a morning at the parco giochi (playground). There was a large crowd gathered at the entrance to the piazza right near our house. In the middle of the crowd, next to a large marble colonna, was a fire truck. Interesting.

As we came closer, we saw that there were two fire fighters standing to attention in the basket of the crane on top of the truck. At the centre of the crowd was a bishop and the mayor (both in full regalia) and a number of other officials. Surrounding the crowd was a collection of people dressed in full medieval garb, including a drumming band, people waving huge flags, and ten archers with real bows and arrows. Very interesting.

We stood at the edge of the crowd, curious to know what was happening. Santa Maria was being mentioned a lot, which reminded us that it was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. A public holiday here in Italy. We then realised that the statue at the top of the marble column which marks the entrance to Piazza San Francesco is actually of Mary. She is so high up that it is hard to tell!

After lengthy speeches and prayers, we sensed the anticipation growing in the crowd. Finally, the bishop handed a huge wreath up to the firefighters. 

The crane on top of the truck was carefully extended to full height (navigating perilously through the many strings of Christmas lights also strung across the street) and the firefighters began the task of affixing the wreath to the statue. This took a comically lengthy amount of time. At one point they almost dropped it onto the heads of the big wigs standing below! The drumming band started a drumroll twice when they thought it was almost done, but had to give up due to arm fatigue. 

Once the wreath was finally secure, the crowd broke into a relieved applause.

At this point, the drummers and the flag wavers started doing their thing, and led the crowd on a procession down the street. I was half expecting the archers to shoot flaming arrows overhead as well, but it seems like their presence was purely ornamental.

Yesterday, we set off along the autostrada at a leisurely 130kph. This is the speed limit, but you wouldn't know it by the pace of some of the people overtaking us. Italian driving is truly something else. 

Our destination for the morning was Pisa. Specifically the Leaning Tower. Flavia had never seen it! Usually I would say that making a huge effort to go to Pisa just to see the tower is setting yourself up for a disappointing day, but when it is only 20 minutes down the road it is very much worth the trip.

We arrived on a cloudy Tuesday morning, and found a free car park literally next to the tower. Maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but not by much. You would never find anywhere to stop within a few kilometres of the Piazza Dei Miracoli in the summer, so a space being free only one street back felt like a huge win. ZTL non-attiva!

We wandered around the huge piazza, with only a few other tourists. Winter certainly is the time to go! After all, the tower is always learning, regardless of the weather. 

Flavia and Raffy left this morning to go on their girls trip to London for a couple of days. They're off to see the musical stage show version of Raffy's favourite movie, Frozen. Such a lucky little almost-four year old! I look forward to hearing how they go together.

As always, the biggest hugs and kisses for you. Baci e abbracci!