Saturday, April 6, 2019

On Wednesday’s and Saturdays, you can go to the market outside the historic centre, on Piazza Don Franco Baroni (exit under the ramparts near Porta Maria, turn left and it is a 5-minute walk from there). This also gives you a full appreciation of how thick these walls are!

Lucca Walls near Porta Maria

And there you have it… your typical local European market. Need socks? Pants? A fancy dress? A purse, maybe? Or even a frying pan? Search no more… it’s all here! There is even a huge selection of affordable jewelry… lol!

Stopped for a lovely risotto/pasta lunch at Bar San Frediano, just next to the San Frediano church with the magnificent mosaic.

Stopped at Sandrino for our daily 🇮🇹 🍦.

Stopped at Biatelli for a cute stove-top espresso maker and ground coffee.

Stopped at Ubik Librerie for my Italian novels (the young salesperson was very helpful): La stagione della caccia, by Andrea Camillieri (a classic) and Ciò che inferno Non è, by Alessandro D’Avenia. Looking forward to digging in…

Stopped at Puccini Museum to buy tonight’s tickets to a Puccini recital in San Giovanni church.

Phew! Time for a break and maybe a nap…

Puccini e la sua Lucca is a year-long program that allows tourists from all over the world to enjoy music from Lucca’s (and probably Italy’s) most famous opera composer. There is a theme for each day of the week and on Saturdays, San Giovanni Church is filled with arias and duets from Puccini, Verdi, and Mozart. The acoustic was absolutely amazing and the voice of soprano Bianca Barsanti, divine. It was a treat to be part of this Italian and international repertoire.

Anna at Puccini Recital

Puccini Recital

Note to travelers: Tickets are 25 euros/person when you buy them at the church, but 20 euros/person from other venues, such as the Puccini Museum or the Tourist information centre. When attending, you receive a nice program with Puccini’s succinct biography. Well done!

Also good to know: The temperature inside the church is rather chilly, and since you will be sitting for over an hour, an extra layer of clothing might keep you more comfortable.

This was another good day. Cheers!

Enjoying a refreshing “birra alla spina”

Salve,

Anna