Festa with family at Pescia

Monday, April 25

Easter Monday is a special day in Italy when people go on picnics with their families and take walks in the country or though the cities. Pretty much everything is closed, so we spend a relaxing morning at home. It is very quiet, since the agriturismo owners and workers have the day off. In the afternoon, Lucy and I drive to Pescia to pick up Suzye, who is tired but happy to be here. She arrived in Milano early this morning and then took a bus to the train station and then a slow regionale train to Prato. She transferred there and arrives at Pescia at 3:10 p.m. We take her home to eat and wash up, and then we all go back to Pescia for a community festa.

The festa features several bands and a group of jugglers parading around and performing in the large central piazza. At the same time, there are booths selling antiques, and we buy two framed prints, one on silk cloth. I also buy some Tex comic books to help practice my Italian reading skills. One of the nice things about these small events is the opportunity to get up close to the performers, and, as always, we enjoy people-watching; in this case, we see lots of Italian families enjoying themselves together, and there are many older people, faces lined with character.

The gelato at our favorite gelateria is a minor disappointment, but only because it is nearly sold out and we don’t have the usual large array of choices. What is left, though, is still delicious, as is the whole evening. We return home and find that Bar Grazia is closed for the holiday, but we try out for the first time San Salvatore’s other pizzeria. It is slightly more expensive, but the pizzas are roasted directly over wood coals for added flavor. We carry the pizza home and find it to be a satisfying conclusion to a very pleasant day.