#61: Halloween in Italy
Ciao Nonni,
I hope you are keeping well!
Our week has been dominated by the Lucca Comics and Games festival, which has been taking place here for the past four days - with one more day to go tomorrow.
I mentioned last time that I was slightly nervous about our decision to stay in town while the huge event was taking place. Happily, it has been a blast!
We have had a fantastic time here, and have been able to both get involved in the fun when we wanted to, but also escape easily when we wanted. Having a car, and living outside the walls, are definitely game changers compared to last year.
This year was the first that we have taken part in Halloween festivities with the kids, which Italy is right into. It's not quite the US (according to our American friends here), but it is certainly more of a widespread thing here than it is in Australia. Combined with the comics crowd, it was quite something to witness!
Raffy dressed up as a witch, and Leo was a skeleton, and they broke hearts up and down the main street of Lucca on Thursday evening. The sight of the little biondi running hand in hand into each shop, shouting "dolcetto o scherzetto?!" was almost too much.
Here in Lucca, Halloween trick or treating is done at shops, instead of people's homes. It makes so, so, so much more sense! All the kids are contained to the main shopping street in the centre of town, and (most of) the shops are prepared with baskets of caramelle (lollies) to hand out. It feels way safer, and obviously overcomes the significant logistical challenge posed by most people living in apartment buildings. I've also got a few new stores I will definitely go back to now, after they were particularly nice and friendly with our kids.
The central location also meant that after the bambini had filled their buckets, we could duck into a little bar and have an aperitivo with friends before heading home for dinner. Everyone was a winner.
My other favourite moments from the comics have come from being surrounded by everyone in their incredible costumes, particularly outside of the walls and away from the actual exhibitions and events.
I had a moment in the supermarket yesterday, when I was doing the very mundane task of the weekly essentials shop. I looked up and realised I was browsing the pasta aisle with Jesus and Deadpool. It was too much.
If I was to ask Raffy about her favourite moment, it would undoubtedly be the firefighters. The local pompieropoli set up an obstacle course for kids to test their firefighting skills. It involved getting dressed up in a vest and a helmet, and then running through tires, across a balance beam, using a fire hose to knock down fire-shaped targets, climbing a ladder and rescuing a doll from a "burning" building (i.e. a cubby house with a smoke machine inside).
She must have completed the course about six times, each time asking the firefighters very politely in Italian if she could go again. They were highly amused, and very happy to indulge her.
Speaking of Raffy, I have a story I know you will love.
Last week, David picked her up from school and brought her home in the afternoon. I was sitting at my laptop doing some work, but I could overhear their conversation. Raffy was asking David if she could have some biscuits for an afternoon snack. He said, "ok, you can have two". To which she replied, "no, I'd like four ... or three, if you want a compromise".
All my love and a very big hug,
Kate
