Day 26
Buon giorno! Following several days of hearty Alsatian fare, the Dins set a new culinary course a few degrees south in search of even finer cheeses, wines, and cured meats. Thinking it was a perennial house plant, Carolyn purchased a pot of basil at a farmer’s market in Strasbourg. Upon learning of the plant’s utility in a diversity of dishes, perhaps most famously the Italian “pesto” sauce, she insisted the Dins bring her to the cultural bread basket, or pasta pot as might be more appropriate here, of basil-rich cuisine. So, after scaling the mighty snow-capped Alps (in an airplane, alas), the Din & Tonics arrived at their final stop of the European leg of their World Tour: the sun-kissed hillsides of Toscano, Italia.
Across the scorching tarmac of the Galileo Galilei airport in Pisa, the Dins were greeted at long last by an old friend of the group: Signore Vito Scuolo. Sig. Scuolo, who went by his business name, The Don, has long been the group's exclusive fashion consultant. In fact, the very hue of lime green the Dins now use for their pocket squares originates from a dyed swatch of premium Tuscan cotton created by The Don himself. Legend has it that he keeps it under lock and key in a temperature-controlled glass chamber manufactured by the same company that protects the Mona Lisa behind several inches of bullet-proof glass. This is a valuable item, to say the least.
The Don waved to us stiffly from his black Mercedici SUV. After piling our luggage in the back, he drove us through the foothills of the Alpi Apuane. Although we thought we would be spending our few days in the boot within the walls of the medieval city of Lucca, The Don surprised us with an offer we couldn't refuse: his villa on the outskirts of the city.
The car winded up a narrow road set amongst olive groves. Once we crested the hill, a majestic view of the Tuscan countryside opened below us: golden-tinged rolling hills of olive grove after olive grove splashed with the red paint strokes of terra cotta roof tiles. We were in The Don's country now, and we couldn't be more grateful.
Day 27
We were gently woken up this morning by the friendly coo of doves singing outside. The Don's steward of the house, Maria Teresa, prepared a sumptuous breakfast of pastries, fresh fruit, and coffee. As we sipped on our espressos, The Don emerged from the kitchen with a plate of cannoli. Acknowledging first that this delicacy was a) more of a dessert than a breakfast and b) a pastry of Sicilia more so than Toscano, he invited us to enjoy the treats. Kieran, who in all efforts to reduce the Dins' food waste, brought a couple leftover Alsatian buns from our breakfast in Strasbourg the day before, slipped one on his plate from underneath the table. The Don immediately noticed and an inquisitive look came across his face. “Would you like to try this?” Kieran asked. “Leave the bun. Take the cannoli,” The Don smiled.
In the evening, after the Dins performed a tailored set at the villa by inserting “The Don” into every song in their repertoire (“It's Another Day of Don,” “Sh'Don,” “When the Don Goes Marching In,” “The Lady is a Don,” “Blue Don,” “BeDon, BoDon, and BeDonDon,” etc), The Don treated the Dins to an opera performance in Lucca. Set against the walls of the fortified city, Riccardo Muti conducted a 130-piece orchestra with 6 soloists celebrating the most beautiful compositions of Lucca native and legendary composer Giacamo Puccini. At the end, Muti, who we learned is a distant cousin of The Don, reunited with his relative. We took a few photos together before The Don pulled Muti close to his chest and whispered in his ear, “A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man.” Muti composed himself, shook The Don's hand, and promised to visit again whenever he returned to Italy. It was a wonderful evening.
Day 28
We had the opportunity to explore Lucca today! The Don had business dealings to attend to, so he arranged for his bodyguard and truffle-hunter Vincenzo Della Scarpia to show us around the city. We rented bicycles and traversed around the city's wall, scaled a Romanesque-Gothic tower, sampled a few gelato places, shared some focaccia, explored the narrow and winding streets, and dined in style inside one of the town squares built upon the foundation of a Second Century Roman amphitheater.
Upon our return, The Don and Della Scarpia treated us to a bottle of their finest Prosecco and we toasted to our final night in Europe. On these evenings, surrounded by so many great friends and good company, I had to pinch myself, as it almost didn't feel real.
Day 29
After a brief morning photo shoot under the rising Tuscan sun, the Dins departed from Lucca for a train bound for Milan to catch their onward flight to Asia! So long, Europe. You've been so kind to us, and we cannot wait to return! Arrivederci!
Grazie mille,
Mattheus (#262)
