Carnevale 2025

Corso Garibaldi is the street where the Magnolias bloom in Lucca.

We are on the cusp of a change of seasons in Italy.  No, not winter into spring quite yet (though here in Lucca the Magnolias are just beginning to bloom).  I mean the shift from the season of Carnevale into the season of Lent. 

The last Carnevale events in Lucca and Viareggio are scheduled for the first week of March, a last bit of fun and folly just before the seriousness of Lent begins on the 5th. 

In Lucca, the biggest Carnival event was the Sfilata delle Maschere (Parade of Masks) on February 23rd.  The procession began along Lucca’s historic walls and slowly worked its way to the center of town, ending in a big celebration in Piazza San Michele. 

The sfilata involved much more than just masks.  Viareggio sent groups of costumed performers and some of their smaller floats.

 While the huge floats in Viareggio’s parades require big crews to operate them and move them along, the ones sent to Lucca were the smaller carri (wagons) that take just one or two persons to operate. 

The parade began with the arrival of Burlamacco and Ondina, the official mascots of the event.  Their arrival was followed by a marching band and a special float – a large leopard created especially for Lucca.

This leopard was one of the biggest floats, requiring a tractor to pull it along the parade route.

Then came groups of costumed dancers and performers.  Could I tell you exactly what some of these groups represented?  Not a chance – but all were entertaining and, in the tradition of Viareggio’s Carnevale, a bit political, with a dash of the allegorical, and a whole lot of wild.

 One group of carri, each with a single person steering it, represented the spoils of war and the big money interests that favor it (at least that is my interpretation). The giant money hungry pig was certainly impressive. The sign on his float translates to “Lunch is served. As long there is war there is hope”. His waiters served up barrels of oil and tanks. This type of social commentary is exactly what I expect from Viareggio during Carnevale.

My favorite group of floats brought graceful acrobats twirling high above the crowd.  The were called In Equilibrio Sopra La Follia which translates to Balanced Above the Madness.  Seemed an appropriate theme for this year to me. 

The final float was the largest.  A train full of paper mâché people waving to the crowd.

Alongside the parade, the crowd included lots of costumed children and adults too. 

What a fun way to celebrate Carnevale before the much more sedate season of Lent arrives.

Keeping Busy on Cold Winter Days in Tuscany

Watching kids enjoy the giostra (carousel) on nice days is a good pastime.

It’s important to make the most of the cold January days in Lucca, even the rainy ones. 

While the heavy periods of rain have definitely kept me indoors at times, lighter rains and clear periods see me heading out for walks, window shopping, photography, meeting up with friends, watching the giostra (carousel) go round and round, and looking for general inspiration.

The monthly antiques market was a great diversion in between rain showers on a cold and cloudy day earlier this month.  Many of the vendors are the same from month to month, but a scavenger hunt to search for new and unusual finds is always fun.  

Cooking is a good rainy-day activity and, after finding some really nice guanciale in the market, I’ve been working on perfecting my pasta carbonara skills. But sometimes eating out is a good rainy-day activity too.

Pasta is cold weather comfort food and Macelleria Pucci is a butcher shop / restaurant that makes a great southern Italian spaghetti with polpettini (little meatballs). Lunch there with friends was a treat as it is unusual to find this dish in northern Italy. I requires lots of rainy afternoon walks to balance out those pasta calories!

Catching up with friends after being away from Italy over the holidays has been great too.  Lucca has lots of cafes, perfect for meeting over a cup of coffee, pot of tea, or glass of wine.  The indoor cafes are warm and cozy and have led to some great chats about world issues with locals at the next tables.  It is always interesting to get the Italian perspective on US and World events.  And it is great for practicing my Italian.

 A stop at the Saturday flower market, on one of the few sunny days this past weekend, brought a touch of spring and some bright color into my apartment, a necessity on these winter days.

The Saturday flower market in Piazza San Michele is great in any season

One of my favorite winter cold weather activities is planning spring travel and I’ve been busy doing just that.  Spring in Emilia- Romagna and Umbria is a welcome thought on these cold days. And the planning is almost as much fun as the travel will be.

 My book club selection for the month is The Stolen Lady by Laura Morelli.  It has transported me to Florence in the late 1400s and Paris in the 1930s.  A great escape on a cold or cloudy day.

 And for real escapism, day dreaming about spring blossoms is hard to beat.  Photos can make the gray skies fade away and bring a reminder that spring is just around the corner.  I think that readers in the frigid parts of the US and Canada might appreciate these reminders as much as I do.  Stay warm everyone!

The Olive Press Kitchen (Formerly Extra Virgin Cooking Classes)

Chef Giuseppe at work

Here is a recipe for a wonderful day of cooking in Italy:

Start with Chef Giuseppe Mazzocchi (he makes the magic happen). You’ll meet Giuseppe, along with your small group of classmates, for a bit of shopping at Montecatini’s market. Here you’ll find fresh herbs, veggies, and just the right beans for soup. It’s a great way to start the day and learn about local ingredients.

This very old “hog-back” bridge spans the stream behind Il Molino

Next, spend the day at the historic molino (mill) where Giuseppe’s grandparents lived and worked. The mill property is over 600 years old and sits alongside a stream whose waters once powered the mill equipment.

Inside the old mill you’ll find a professional kitchen with lots of workspace. Here, under the chef’s guidance, you will prepare and cook authentic Italian dishes. If the day is chilly, there will be a fire burning in the kitchen’s large fireplace. Could there be a better atmosphere for cooking? I think not!

To make the atmosphere even better, enjoy some Prosecco while prepping ingredients and take a break to sample some regional olive oils and cheeses.

Later, when all the work is done, you’ll share a fabulous lunch with your classmates in the beautiful dining room, the spot which once housed the olive press. Today it is a rustic yet elegant space with a table large enough for all to gather. Giuseppe will select wines that pair perfectly with the food you’ve prepared. A member of the Italian Sommelier Association, he knows his wines and happily shares that knowledge during the meal.

A beautiful table setting adds to the enjoyment of lunch

Some of you may have done a class with Giuseppe at Extra Virgin Cooking when it was located inside the historic center of Lucca. Those classes were wonderful and inspired me to write an earlier blog post (from April 2022). With completion of the mill renovations, all of the classes moved out to Il Molino last summer. New location and a new name - The Olive Press Kitche. I was excited to experience the new location when, with a couple of friends, I signed up for a class this past October.

The cooking school is in the hills outside of Montecatini. Montecatini can be reached by train along the Florence - Lucca line. Coming from either Lucca or Florence, it is about 30 minutes to the Montecatini Centro stop. Once there, Giuseppe will meet you and it is just a short walk to the market. Classes include round trip transportation between Montecatini and Il Molino.

My October class took place on a chilly, rainy day so we enjoyed the fireplace while we prepared our first course, a Zuppa Frantoiana. This is a typical fall soup of vegetables and beans drizzled with the season’s fresh pressed olive oil.

We also prepared a beef based ragu to go with Gnudi, a light as a cloud ricotta and spinach dumpling. Shaping the gnudi takes practice and we all had fun learning the technique (but even more fun eating them at lunch).

Fall is funghi (mushroom) season, so we also made a risotto with several types of mushrooms, including porcinis.

I can almost smell these thyme scented mushrooms cooking!

Last, we made a wonderful classic Italian dessert - zabaglione. Rich with egg yolk, sugar, marsala wine, and whipped cream, it was topped with fresh berries. A perfect way to end our meal.

Everything about classes with The Olive Press Kitchen is special. From Giuseppe’s care and teaching, to the gorgeous setting, to the small group of students, to the shared meal of authentic foods and wines. For anyone interested in food, cooking, or just good eating, a day spent at the mill cooking with Giuseppe is a fabulous experience.

Classes are scheduled 3 days per week, 9 am to about 2:30 pm. All classes are in English. Cost (as of January 2025) is €130 per person.

Contact info: info@theolivepresskitchen.com

Website: theolivepresskitchen.com

Christmas 2024

Christmas in New Mexico has its own charms

As I write this, I am sitting in my New Mexico condo which is all decorated for Christmas.  The tree is up, the mantle is filled with garland and shiny things. A bit of Christmas peeks out from all the nooks and crannies of my place. I am looking forward to a family holiday with my kids and grandkids.

And yet ….. I find myself thinking of all the Christmas time magic that I know is unfolding in Italy.

 In Italy, and certainly in Lucca, Christmas is everywhere.  It is found in simple door decorations and in enchanting shop windows.

It sparkles overhead along streets strung with lights. 

Chiasso Barletti, Lucca.  Photo thanks to S. Olson

Christmas can be found in piazzas filled with oversized decorations and artistic trees

 (thanks to S. Breedlove, C. LaSpina, and S. Olson for the photos above)

This year, a large Christmas market fills Piazza Napoleone along with a Christmas tree wrapped in gold. 

Piazza Napoleone Christmas Market, Lucca.   Thanks to S. Breedlove for this photo

A train, full of lights, has appeared in Piazza Anfiteatro where a backdrop of stars paints the buildings in lights.  

Piazza Anfiteatro, Lucca. Photo thanks to S. Olson.

In the historic center of Lucca, running daily errands at this time of year involves strolling through the Christmas decorations.  And a nighttime walk is truly magic! This year, since I am spending my every-other-year holiday in New Mexico, Lucca at Christmas is coming to me (and to you) through my friends who have kindly sent me lots of photos. 

I will catch the spirit in person when I am back in Lucca just after Christmas.  Lucky for me that Christmas time in Italy lasts through Epiphany on January 6th! 

How cute is this guy?   

An Evening in Venice

There are actually people who don’t like Venice.  Go figure! They find lots of things to complain about – the steps, the crowds, “smelly” canals, tour groups, cruise ships, pickpockets, the prices.  I feel bad for those people; they are really missing out.  With a little careful planning, an off-season arrival, and basic street smarts (canal smarts?) Venice is a wonder.      

Venice in mid-October. Lively but not terribly crowded.

 I recently spent one day in Venice, visiting from my base in nearby Padova.  Most of the day was spent at the Biennale Art event.  After seeing some of the exhibits, my friends and I took an almost-dusk evening stroll through Venice followed by dinner.

 We did not encounter big crowds other than in two spots.  First, on arrival, at the ticket booths for the vaporetti outside of the train station.  Definitely a spot to watch out for pickpockets.

The Bridge of Sighs

Next, in the early evening, in the area around the Bridge of Sighs and into Piazza San Marco.  The viewpoint near the Bridge of Sighs is where everyone stops for a photo. Other than those two spots, Venice was busy but not jam packed. Even Piazza San Marco, always a busy spot, wasn’t bad.

Piazza San Marco. As Venetian crowds go, this was great!

With my passport and credit cards tucked safely into my money belt, and a minimum of cash and a few other things in a small backpack, one whose zipper sits up against my back making it a not so easy target for thieves, I had no worries about pickpockets. This gave me the freedom to enjoy the views and take photos.

There were no cruise ships to be seen, thanks to the new rules which prohibit the biggest ones from docking in Venice. A great old sailing ship and some Naval vessels near the Arsenale were interesting and didn’t tower over the landscape.

Best of all was an amazing sunset view over the Grand Canal followed by a wander through the maze of back streets just beyond Piazza San Marco. 

 After a full day of art appreciation at the Biennale, and a stroll through Venice, we were hungry.  Luckily, we found Ristorante Central Venice, part wine bar and part restaurant. Located on a little side street, the atmosphere was warm, the staff friendly, the menu enticing (fresh seafood!), and the wine list included a good and moderately priced prosecco.  Perfect. 

 After dinner, it was time for a vaporetto ride back to the now uncrowded train station and a quick 30 minute ride back to Padova.  Our day in Venice was wonderful.  No complaints from me!