Home at last!

Home at last! I wake up to the sound of a flute. My first thought was that I had died and that was why I was hearing the flutes. (pretty optimistic considering my behavior the day prior regarding the hotel room). I promptly went downstairs for my first meal in my new hometown. Quattro Formaggio Pizza at a little restaurant around the corner. It was delicious and I met my first Lucca friend, the waiter Goelle. He is a very sweet English speaking teenager who waits tables. My flat is in the heart of Lucca, which can be noisy, but the constant music is truly something to be experienced. There are guitars at night, bands marching down the street right under my window, 3 piece ensembles with violin, cello and flute. It is truly life changing to go from the blaring horns and sirens of Harrison to the musical life of Lucca..

Allora, it has been three weeks and things are starting to come together. Getting the utilities on was a chore, but Arletti handled it all. In Italy you need a card you swipe to access the community cans. They are BIG on recycling here. You will get fined if you do not separate paper, glass, plastic and waste. It takes some getting used to, but my friends from California would be proud of me. Today I walked to the computer store outside of the wall (Lucca is a medieval village surrounded by a wall). It was extremely hot and exhausting, but I got a computer and set it up. This is not an easy task for a person such as myself who cannot deal with computers. But, alas, another victory. On my way back into town, I stop for lunch and met Love and her son Giamba. Yes, her name is Love. They were delightful and helped me fill out my utility papers which were in Italian. Giamba wants to learn English and I am working on my Italian so it was a match made in heaven. I visit them often.