Thanksgiving isn’t a holiday in Italy, and at first today felt like any other day here with shops open and everyone going about their normal business. The weather is cool, rainy, and windy with fall leaves blowing all about. But all the Americans are going around wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and many of us are cooking and baking and getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner because in addition to giving thanks, this holiday is also about a great meal!

Because Thanksgiving isn’t a holiday here, I had to explain at the bakery that I needed two big loaves of bread (much more than my usual purchase) because I was making stuffing for the turkey,

And I had to hunt for the dry, powdered mustard I needed for seasoning.

And oh, the search for cranberries, which really are unheard of here and were essential for the cranberry-apple crumb pie I wanted to bake. Luckily I have a top secret source for obtaining them from the USA.

Since this is my first Thanksgiving in Italy (and Judy’s too) I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. But I was delighted to be invited to a Thanksgiving dinner hosted by some American friends. Our group was a nice mix of American ex-pats and Italians - it was great fun to mix traditional American fare with Italian appetizers and wines. And you can’t beat laughter in two languages!

And while we were all reminded of Thanksgivings past, celebrated with family and friends in the USA, when we went around the table and shared what we were thankful for, the joy of living in Lucca, and having found such a community of adventurous, spirited, kind, interesting people, topped the list.

We wish you all a happy, happy Thanksgiving !