High Tea, Italian Style

The Marriott Grand Universe Hotel, Lucca

Lucca is a small town.  Unlike Florence or Rome it does not have a lot of high-end, super fancy hotels. There is however the Grand Universe, a Marriott branded hotel which was remodeled a few years ago from a classic though dated local hotel to a modern, upscale destination spot.  The roof top Champagne bar has amazing views and drink prices that may make you think you are in Rome.   It is a treat, but not my usual hangout.

What I did not know about the hotel is that they serve a lovely, and very reasonably priced, English-style afternoon tea.  Who knew !  Luckily, a friend of mine did and invited me to tea on a rainy early winter afternoon. Fancy teas are one of my favorite special occasion things to do, a posh break from everyday life.  There is a fabulous tearoom back in New Mexico, a must when I am there at Christmas time.  I’ve enjoyed tea on many travels over the years – England (of course), Paris, Budapest.   I have loved the high teas served on Viking Ocean cruises.  How is it that I had no idea about the elegant high tea served right here in Lucca?  A terrible miss on my part!

Without a doubt the Grand Universe serves the most bountiful tea I’ve ever been served.  More like a 4 (or 5) course meal.  Not that I am complaining!  Now, if you are one of those people that really do not like reading about food, or seeing photos of food, I recommend skipping the rest of this post because from here on out it is all about the food.

The tea service began with the opportunity to select from a variety of teas.  Darjeeling was my choice, loose tea leaves steeped in individual pots with slices of lemon or milk alongside.  While we waited for the tea to steep, the food began to arrive.   A classic 3 tier tray came first.  On top, savories.  There were 5 types of small tea sandwiches.  Some classic – triangles of cucumber with a creamy cheese and one with ham and mustard. 

There was a thinly sliced salmon on whole grain bread, one with bacon on a mini whole grain croissant, and an open faced avocado sandwich on a crispy sesame bread.  Luckily these were small – but they could have been a lunch all by themselves.  The next tier held some small pastries and the bottom tier was desserts.

On a return visit in December with a group of 4, platters took the place of the tiered serving dish and the selections were a bit different, but equally delicious.

Scones are a must a team so of course there were scones. They were served with cream and a house-made strawberry jam.  Wonderful!

Next were a variety of sweets – bite sized tarts (lemon, berry, cream-filled, orange) and larger individual apple tarts.   

Sounds like a full tea, right ? Not quite.  The chef appeared with a plate full of house made shortbread. Not one or two pieces, more like a dozen and way too many to eat after an already abundant tea.   Luckily the server offered to-go boxes and these perfect buttery cookies were tasty the next day alongside some coffee. 

On my second visit I told the chef how much I had enjoyed his shortbread and he graciously shared a copy of the recipe. I hope mine turn out half as good! 

And just when we thought we were finished, tea concluded with a final surprise - slices of a strawberry cream cake.

No way could we finish all the food served - but the leftovers meant a nice home tea the next day.

I was glad my friend warned me to skip lunch and arrive hungry!  On my return visit I gave my group of friends the same advice.  Each time we were glad to have those to-go boxes. 

Whether as an escape from an otherwise dreary November day, to celebrate a special occasion, or as part of a holiday celebration, tea at the Grand Universe is a treat.  And at €25 per person it is also an affordable luxury.

A December Visit to Florence

The weeks leading up to Christmas are always busy – this year seems more so than ever.   There have been holiday lunches and dinners, aperitivo evenings, fancy teas, holiday markets, even Santas arriving on Vespas.  Many visitors have arrived in the last few weeks, perfect timing to see Lucca all dressed up for Christmas and for us to enjoy some of the season together.

Amid all the December happenings, I managed to fit in a few days in Florence.  Florence is always a treat at Christma and this year was extra special as I was there with a friend who was experiencing her first holiday season in Italy.  

We only had two days in the city and a short list of “must do” things.  Mostly, we wanted to walk through the city enjoying the holiday lights, gaze at the window and shop decorations, have a couple of good meals, and do a little holiday shopping.  We also had tickets to visit the Fra Angelico exhibit at Palazzo Strozzi - it was outstanding and good kick-off to our weekend.

Walking through town, the windows were fascinating.  From upscale stores like Prada to pastry shops and small local merchants, the variety of displays made for a lot of stop and go and oohs and ahhs when walking through town.  One of my favorites was the edible window display at Caffè Gilli, below.

And the Christmas trees!  The one at the Duomo, set against the back drop of the the Cathedral and the Baptistery, was simple and beautiful. Different, but just as wonderful, was the one in Piazza Repubblica, which happened to be just outside the Hotel Pendini where we were staying. Located beside the carousel, it was even better at night when the tree’s ever changing colors were on full display.

Stopping at Gilli for an evening aperitivo was the perfect spot for viewing all the night-time happenings in Piazza Repubblica, including the fun carousel and the illuminations which danced across the facade of the Rinascente department store.

A morning visit to the annual Christmas Market, in the piazza in front of Santa Croce Church, was a must do. The market is German style but with an international personality in both the products and foods.  Booths from a variety of countries including Poland, Hungary, Germany, England, and Scotland offered everything from holiday décor and ornaments to warm scarves and mittens to classic foods.   And while the scent of all those foods was tempting, we saved our appetites for an after-market Sunday lunch at nearby Trattoria Cibrèo.

One of my favorites places to visit at this time of year is the Farmacia Santa Maria Novella.  This historic pharmacy, established some 800 years ago by Dominican Friars, once was known for its medicinal herbs and potions. It was once the place to get anti-plague remedies.  Today, no longer run by Friars, it still sells herbal products and potions along with wonderful lotions, soaps, perfumes, potpourri, liquors, and candles.  The setting is historic, full of old wooden cabinets, marble floors, and elegant decor.  It also houses the small chapel of San Nicolò with its beautiful frescoes. At this time of year, the Christmas decorations are gorgeous.  It is a wonderful place to shop for gifts. 

When the sun goes down, the show really begins.  First are the lighted street decorations which vary from one small neighborhood to the next.  The area around Palazzo Strozzi and Via Tornabuoni are especially bright and shiny. 

The beginning of the video projected on the Palazzo Vecchio

And then there was the number one thing that we came to see – the Florence Lights Up Festival, also known at F-Lights Up. 

This annual event involves a series of moving images projected onto some of Florence’s iconic structures.

There were too many to see in just a couple of nights, but the two we managed were fantastic.  The first was at the Palazzo Vecchio where the moving images were inspired by Florentine arts and craftmanship.  (video on two_parts_italy Instagram )

The second was a projection on the Ponte Vecchio, a series of images which turned the whole span of the bridge into art.  Standing along the river to watch the display was mesmerizing.  The images were simply amazing and uniquely Florentine!    The displays continue until January 6th, when the holiday season officially ends. ( video at two_parts_italy on Instagram )

Buon Natale and Buone Feste to all !

The Basilica of San Lorenzo at Christmas

The Italian Holiday Calendar

This Babbo Natale, much like Santa Claus, greets people as the enter the Caffè Santa Zita in Lucca

The holiday calendar in Italy is a little different than the one found in the United States. In the US, the holiday season begins in late November with Thanksgiving and then moves through a multicultural series of celebrations – most years Hanukkah comes first, then Winter Solstice, next is Christmas, followed by Kwanzaa, and ending with New Year’s Day.  We may sing about the 12 days of Christmas, but by December 26th many Americans are back to work with only a day off coming for the New Year. The American holidays have a blend of religious, cultural, and family significance and tradition. Individuals may celebrate none of the holidays, only one, or any combination. Thanksgiving and New Year’s are US public holidays.  Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, and Kwanzaa are not. But what about Christmas? It would make sense that, as a religious celebration, it would not be a public holiday in the US and yet it is – well, sort of. The required separation of the religious and civic holidays was maintained by the 1870 law that created a federal holiday on December 25th. It is in fact, by US law, not exactly a Christmas holiday at all but rather the “December 25th holiday”. No such legal gymnastics are required in Italy!

Piazza Napoleone, Lucca was one of the first places to find holiday decorations this year

Lucca’s largest Christmas tree, in piazza San Michele, arrived in late November

Here in Italy there is no Thanksgiving to mark the start of the holiday calendar.  Another difference is that there seems to be much less multiculturalism in how the holidays are celebrated, at least in the smaller towns.  In Lucca, I have not seen Hanukkah or Kwanzaa celebrations, and those days are not considered public holidays, though there are certainly families who celebrate them.  It may be different in the bigger cities, but here the big holiday celebrations are all about Christmas.

The official start of the season is December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  In Italy it is both a religious and a public holiday, a duality that is not at all unusual here.  Traditionally, that day is when the Christmas tree goes up and the Presepe (nativity scene) appears. But much like in the US, the season unofficially begins a bit earlier.   

First to appear are the decorated shop windows..  We may not have a big Macy’s display window here in Lucca, but the small shop windows are wonderfully decked out.  Walking through town to see the Christmas windows is one of my favorite holiday activities.

By the 4th week of November Lucca’s streets are hung with tiny white lights and overhead decorations. Larger holiday installations appear throughout the city and displays of stars, snowflakes, or other symbols of the season are projected onto the sides of the city’s medieval buildings. 

Other holiday events in late November / early December in Lucca include the opening of a temporary ice-skating rink, the start of the Christmas market in Piazza Napoleone (this year’s market features French products), and the lighting of the big Christmas tree in Piazza San Michele.

A big crowd turned out for the tree lighting ceremony

Throughout December the seasonal magic continues with concerts and street music, processions, Presepe, special markets, children’s activities including the Casa di Babbo Natale (Father Christmas’s house), and all the lights and sparkle that one little Italian Medieval town can muster.   Add in the various social events with friends and the whole month will be filled with activities. We’ll rest in January!  

It all comes to an end on January 5th and 6th with the celebration of La Befana, the Christmas witch.  On the evening of the 5th, Befana (perhaps several of them) will wander the historic center of Lucca.  On the 6th, Befana arrives for the children in Piazza San Francesco. Descending from a roof top (with the help of a crane and the fire department), she brings stockings full of candy to the children.  It is always fun to watch her arrival, surrounded by some very excited children. My own Befana keeps watch in my apartment throughout the season.

It’s December – let the holiday magic begin wherever and however you choose to celebrate the season.  

Calm Before Chaos in Late October

A quiet hidden corner of Lucca

October is when the crowds in Lucca begin to thin a bit.  There is a marked shift in the air – over are the special events of the Settembre Lucchese festival month. The evenings and early mornings are chilly, and this year the days are wonderfully sunny and warm. The early mornings and late evenings are a crowd-free breath of fresh air.

Life is normal - the olives have been harvested and the new oil has arrived, the markets are full of fall produce, there are morning coffees with friends, children play in the parks and ride the carousel, there are small concerts, and the streets are a little quieter. We can feel fall creeping in with the falling leaves.

But we also can’t miss the signs that say we should enjoy these last calm days because chaos is on the way.

A warm October day, before the start of Comics, is the perfect time for a ride on the carousel.

The chaos (my word, others would call it excitement) comes in the form of the approaching Lucca Comics and Games event.  The first sign of the chaos to come is the appearance of tents along the walls and in the main piazzas of the city.  I think of this as “la stagione delle tende”, the season of the tents.  It is a short but intense season here in Lucca. The white tents seem to go up earlier and earlier; they even crept in during the last week of September this year, well before the late October start date for Comics.  The smaller tents materialized first up on the walls, but soon the sound of larger ones being erected rang out in Piazza Napoleone, Piazza San Martino, Piazza Santa Maria, and even in the historic Piazza Anfiteatro.  Tents don’t make for interesting photos – so I will post just this one !

A beautiful October day along Lucca’s walls in the “season of the tents”

A photo from many years ago, still one of my favorite costumes. Imagine the work it took to create this elaborate dress.

 I must admit I have a bah humbug attitude about comics.  I hate to see Lucca’s beauty disappear as the tents take center stage and I dread the crowds (100,000 tickets per day!).  I generally plan to be out of town for the 5-day event, but this year my plans fell through and so I will be in Lucca throughout Comics.  Funny (or perhaps not so funny), but the same thing happened last year as the illness of a friend meant staying in Lucca.  It seems the universe laughs at my escape plans and arranges for me to be here.  At least it will mean some great photos!

As much as I don’t like the crowds (especially difficult for us short people who can’t see over all the heads), I do plan to approach the event with a good attitude. I have purchased some essentials and my freezer is as full as a tiny Italian freezer can be (negotiating the streets to go shopping is a challenge, best to stock up beforehand). A couple of friends and I hope to escape by bus on some days to one or two of the smaller towns near Lucca (avoiding the packed trains at all costs!).  And the early mornings, before all the participants arrive, is a good time for a walk in the crisp October air.

There are some things that I enjoy about Comics.  The costumes are amazing and the work that people put into designing them is impressive.  There is one fountain in particular where people go specifically to be seen and photographed (top photo).  I will try to sneak through the back streets to avoid the masses and arrive there early one day and grab some photos.    

And there is one Comics aspect that I truly love – the Steam Punk parades. This year the parades will feature participants showing off their very elaborate Steam Punk style in three scheduled events, each with a unique theme.  Count on photos and descriptions in November blog posts

Steam Punk 2024

But before comics, I am off on a travel adventure beginning in Budapest and ending in Passau, Germany. I’ll be back just in time for the chaos (I meant to say fun) of Comics. My camera is about to get a workout with photos from both my October travel and Lucca Comics and Games!

Changing leaves, October shadows, and a stretch of wall without any tents!

Lucca in Black and White

When I think of Lucca, I see color. Blue skies, sunsets that glow in orange and red, green trees lining the historic city walls, balconies full of colorful flowers.

There are wisteria blooms in spring, bright orange drinks in a piazza during summer, and gourds in all shades in fall. In the market, the color comes from red peppers, purple artichokes, bright green spring agretti, and orange clementines. There are red brick medieval buildings, ochre colored homes, and painted doors. Now, in October, the leaves will soon be changing and we will crunch through drying leaves of yellow and gold as we walk.

As much as I love all of Lucca’s colors, the city has a moody side as well. When the skies darken, the winds blow, and a chill seeps through the thick walls of the buildings it is a different city altogether.

I’ve been trying to capture this other side of Lucca in photographs. To do so, I have been experimenting lately with black and white photos.

A black and white picture highlights shadows and brings a focus on details that can be missed when there is the “distraction” of color.

They can be one way to show the side of Lucca that is a bit more dramatic, unpredictable, petulant even.

This week, I bring you Lucca in black and white.