Day 10 in Lucca

Italy 2021

Giorno Dieci

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We had major thunderstorms last night and lightening. Thunder just rumbles through these ancient buildings. And we're on the top floor- must be louder even lower. Anyway, it kept Dow awake for hours! The weather forecast is for rain for days. It stops and starts again - we'll have to plan our adventures accordingly. As long as it's not a heavy downpour we can venture out. On our walk last night, we bought tickets for the Puccini concert at 7 tonight. We get there early so we can have front row seats.

Rain, rain! For the last 10 years we have been in Lucca it has rained a maximum of one day. We have been here 3 days and it has rained 2 of them. Just crazy weather all over the world.

We decided to eat inside so we stopped at La Bottega di Anna & Leo. This is a real country style Italian restaurant. Local recipes, inexpensive and a ton of food. Since it is inside, we had to show our CDC card. And give the waiter my name and phone number for contact tracing.

I have found that you can tell a lot about a restaurant by its wine glasses. The wine glasses like we have at home are found in upscale restaurants. The small table glasses are found in smaller local restaurants. Example below – Dow is pictured in Osteria Cantina Bernardini while I am in La Bottega di Anna & Leo. Bernardini has its' name on the glasses but Anna & Leo's have no room for their name.

La Bottega di Anna & Leo serves country style cuisine and it is very good. I had Zuppa alla frantoiana di verdure di stagione fresche which was vegetable soup. Very thick and excellent. Look how big the bowl of soup is in the pictures below. Second course I had Baccalá Norvegese cotto in forno (Norwegian cod cooked in the oven.) Dow had fagotti di pappa al pomodoro conditi con zucchine e pomodorini. (stuffed pasta seasoned with zucchini and cherry tomatoes). For the second course she had Buglione alla Lucchese - pollo, coniglio, manzo, maiale, stufato con vino bianco e patate (bouillon alla Lucchese - (chicken, rabbit, beef, pork, stew with white wine and potatoes).

Good choice to stay inside because it was pouring. Quick trip to pick up supplies and then home. Siamo andati al concerto. I'opera è stata fantastica. È stata la musica di Puccini. (We went to the concert. The opera was fantastic. It was the music of Puccini.)