Wednesday 2nd August in the travel diary

Wed 2nd August

I have far and away the most uncomfortable bed in the house. It sags in the middle, and is in the hottest part of the house. Consequently, I didn't sleep all that well, especially when a fly decided that I looked like a perfect landing zone. In the panic off hearing a buzz next to my ear I managed to hit myself in the face. All in a good night.

We had an item on the agenda for today. We were to meet Graham and Linda Pratley, old university pals of mum and dad. They were in the area and we arragned to rendevouz at the Tourist office in Lucca at 6pm.

Wednesday is market day in Lucca, and if you want cheap tablecloths or flip flops then it is a must. We actually had a mission at the market. Heather, for fear of losing her engagement ring, had left it behind. Hence she wanted a cheap replacement. We drove into Lucca and walked into the centre where we asked passers by, 'Dove il mercato?' A kindly italian took pity on three tourists puzzling over a map and asked 'where do you want to go?' 'To the market we answered', like cinderella to the fairy god-mother. 'Then to the market you shall' he almost replied, he led us half the way and chatted to dad about the economic rise and fall of Lucca.

When we arrived outside the stadium we found a string of white vans and vivacious sellers. Eventually Heather spotted the ring she had always wanted. An enormous 1.5 carat diamond, on a platinum setting. At €5 it was a steal. At least, it would have been had it not been made from plastic. Still we bought it, I proposed again and thankfully Heather accepted again. Dad texted mum to arrange for imports of lemon-patterned table cloths and we bought the most wonderful hog-roast paninis.

After a light lunch we were able to relax, read our books (I'm reading a particuarly interesting one about the remaining men that walked on the moon, called Moon Dust by Andrew Smith, and Heather was reading the enormous 'The Count of Monte Cristo. Dad was reading a new book by James Mitchiner, like he does every holiday, called Chesapeake. Normally we all become very familiar with whatever Dad is reading. Just mention 1421...) and snooze.

Soon we headed into Lucca to meet Graham and Linda. By now we know that it takes 20 mins from the house to Lucca, so we set off in time and arrived at 5.50. Dad made an executive decision that he was tired of parking outside the city walls and determined to find a space inside the walls by the tourist office itself. Ignoring my dissent, we drove into the city, and circled around the small car park looking for a non-existent space. After a few laps Dad conceded that there were none and we would have to wait and see if any would appear. In the meantime he stopped the car outside the tourist office. There he looked for a friendly space. 'Well I never,' he started, 'I'm almost sure he was at Trinity with us' Dad continued. He gave a polite honk of the horn. The character didn't respond so dad lept out of the car to meet his long lost friend. I marvelled at dad's ability to place an old friend purely by the back of his head. I voiced the opinon that perhaps it was not a trinity pal but a tourist in italy. Of course my idea was nonsense.

Dad returned to our illegally abandoned car. 'A case of mistaken identity I think' he said non-fussed. How remarkable. After a little more procrastination we bit the bullet and parked out of town to walk in. It's now 6.10 and there is no sign of the Pratleys. We wait a little longer, and then some. To make use of the time Heather and I decide to hire a tandem and cycle the walls. We arrange a meeting place in the ampiteatro and dad sends text messages to Graham and Lindi via mum at home.

A large brusque woman accepts my student card as identification and parts with a tandem. Heather graciously encourages me to sit at the front, probably so she won't have to pedal. We had a marvelous time, eventually working out how to start and not fall off, before long we were overtaking and undertaking the traffic on top of the city walls. Once we had done a couple of laps we ventured onto the saddle-sore inducing cobble streets of Lucca to weave our way through pedestrians with the jolly whistle of our bell.

Exhausted, we headed to our meeting place. Predicatably everyone else was nowhere to be seen. We got some ice cold drinks and waited in the beautiful ampiteatro. Eventually dad and the Pratleys arrived, and we went to our comfortable, familiar restaurant by the gates of the city. Turns out that there are two tourist offices in Lucca. Both at opposite ends. They were getting frustrated waiting at one, and us at the other.

We had a great time at the restaurant. Heather ordered the wonderful gnocchi from the other night, I tried another gnocchi recipe, dad and graham had spaghetti carbonara and Linda a sea food salad for the prima piatti. For the secondo piatti I had the pork steak, Graham had a bulging plate full of cockles and mussels (alive alive oh), Heather a the pork and dad tried some veal. It was a lot of fun, Linda recounted stories of my mother as a student, Graham advised me on equity and trust law and Heather picked up some tips on beginning work as a teacher. We even had this photo taken by a swede.