Sunday, April 14, 2019

This Montecarlo – about 25 minutes away from Lucca – has no casinos, but it is an absolute little gem and worth stopping by.

Unusual weather has plagued the area, with rain and thunderstorms. Today was one of those. But when you want to make the most of it, nice surprises come along…

Despite the rain, and since we had an extra day of car rental, we decide to take a spin and headed for Montecarlo, just in time for lunch. We stopped at Trattoria Montecarlo (www.trattoriamontecarlo.com) for a delicious meal. I love to try pasta recipes that I would never be able to taste in Ontario. I had homemade thin egg noodles with a light creamy sauce and truffles. Raymond had boar stew with polenta, and he claims that the boar he ate was the one that found my truffles! Ok, I will go with that…

The Lucca region produces some excellent wines, which we tasted and they made the cut…

We lingered and by the time we left, the rain had stopped, giving us a brief moment to take a few pictures.

Nearby was the village of Collodi, a village dating back to the Middle Ages and, more recently, home of Carlo Lorenzini, author of The Adventures of Pinocchio, who signed his work as Carlo Collodi. But the rain was against us, and we could not find any of the attractions described in the tourist brochure. And to prove that I am not lying, my nose is still the same size! 🤥

So, when the day is gloom and doom, why not stop at the Museo della Follia (Museum of Madness)? Sounds right? Not quite… The exhibit showcased more than 200 artworks depicting all stages of madness (all pieces coming from private collections), and was not your typical morale booster! From weird to sad, from sad to unsettling… I was glad to leave, even under “maddening” skies.

Museo della folla

Museo della follia – Weird

Museo della follia – weird

It’s cold… It’s wet… A cup of coffee and a pastry will sooth the bones and the souls…

Chocolate and Green Veggies Torta (Lucca Specialty)

Tomorrow will be a sunny day. It’s the truth… I can tell by the length of my nose!

Anna

PS: Coming soon… Florence!