#40: Lucca Vespa Club
Ciao Nonni!
We've been enjoying the most perfect springtime weather here in Lucca for the last week and half. It's been nothing but blue skies, incredible greenery and flowers everywhere. Truly magical.
Of course, Italian pollen is wreaking as much, if not more, havoc on my respiratory system than the Melbourne variety. But it is a price I am happy to pay ... as long as I don't forget to take my daily antihistamine.
With the warm weather, gelato season has well and truly commenced in our family. Raffy and Leo are in heaven. You've never seen two more happy (and quiet) little humans than when they each have a cone of rapidly melting gelato in their hands. As well as all over their faces and running down their arms. Obviously Dave and I are also coping just fine with this situation as well, despite the mess.
We continue to go to our favourite gelateria near our old apartment. Momo. And the ordering and payment situation is still insane. I felt really bad the other day because I walked in and ordered my gelato, before going to the register to pay. As I left, I heard la mamma scolding the girl who served me for not directing me to pay first.
The visit prior, when the father was manning the counter, the sign had been pushed to the side (almost entirely out of view) and he was happily serving everyone the moment they walked in. Long may the battle continue, but I think mamma is fighting uphill on this one.
This past weekend we stumbled upon one of the many, many random festivals that the town of Lucca loves to hold. This one seemed to be based on celebrating the medieval history of the citta. There were marching bands and troupes of dancers, as well as demonstrations of archery, blacksmithing and pottery - all done by people in full costume.
Somewhat incongruously, the festival also included a rally of the Lucca Vespa Club. About a thousand vintage Vespas rode a loop on the walls of the city, spewing out petrol fumes, leaking oil and occasionally breaking down in plumes of engine smoke. It was a lot of fun to watch. Leo was absolutely enthralled. Dave and I both really want a Vespa now, despite it being completely impractical.
In the neverending journey that is the Italian bureaucracy, this week we applied for Italian ID cards for myself and the kids. I already had a carta d'identita, but it listed me as an Australian citizen. I am very excited that our new cards will state our citizenship as Italian. It is our first piece of official identification that will do this. It means we can travel all around Europe completely visa free, without any 90 day restrictions.
The process was very smooth, and the woman serving was absolutely lovely. It was as gentle a reintroduction as I could have hoped for. Next week I need to return (again!) to the health service to update our enrolment in the national system. Based on previous experience, I am a lot more nervous about this one.
Wish me luck!
