I had a wonderful day in Lecco. I arrived around 11 AM, after very successfully navigating the train situation. Ok, I had two issues. First, I was trying to shove my money in the wrong slot of the ticket machine. Luckily, someone helped me. Second, I wasn't sure how to distinguish the first and second class seats of the train. All of the seats seemed to be pretty good, so I was a bit nervous I was in a first class car. I was googling "train Italy distinguish first second class" when I heard someone else ask (in Italian) whether the car was second class, so I feel a bit better about myself.
After arriving, I started wandering. My "Northern Italy" guidebook doesn't actually cover Lecco (though other lakeside towns are included) so I didn't have a plan of specific sights to see, besides the mountains and lake. On my way to the lake I stopped at a bar to get a coffee - I think I did ok, but I certainly haven't mastered the art of ordering an espresso. The Italians seemed surprised that I, as an American/foreigner, want an espresso. I think I should be able to just order a caffe to get an espresso, but even when I order an espresso or ristretto the barista typically clarifies that I want an Italian coffee.
After briefly warming up on the ristretto, I started walking along the lake. It was beautiful, and I contemplated how much of the scenery and experience I can describe in Italian. A family asked me to take their picture (in Italian) and I managed to respond and do so. There were some people kiteboarding on the water- I cannot fathom a wetsuit warm enough for that water!
I walked for some time, passing some restaurants that I remembered later for lunch. I stopped in one shop (art and jewerly) and possibly managed to construct a sentence that would mean "I'm just looking". It was the sort of place where there are no visible price tags, and I decided I probably had not fall in love with anything... Then, I found a tea shop. Sadly they did not take credit card, but luckily I had a lot of cash. I think I've now managed to buy at least 3 months of loose leaf tea - two of my favorites (lapsang souchong, pu erh) and an exciting oolong.
The shops were starting to close for lunch, but many of the restaurants were fairly empty. I knew I wanted some place where I could sit and eat, rather than a quick bite at a tavola calda/bar. However, the cheaper ones are all "surgelato" - they prepare and serve frozen food. This is fairly typical in Italy (for inexpensive fare) and I decided to splurge on a nicer lunch. I looked at a few menus offering fresh fish, and ended up heading back to one of the restaurants I had passed earlier.
I went to an Indian restaurant for lunch, which was a great idea. I chose one of their combination lunches which included a fish curry, and had an excellent hot tea. Even though I didn't finish the main plate or the dessert, I was still so stuffed that I just had to sit by the water and digest for awhile. So good! Interestingly, this is one of the few places where the waiter started speaking to me in English (without me asking). I didn't think of it until later in the meal, but English is widely used in India, so the Indian staff are very likely to speak English.
I wandered a bit more, taking some pictures and window-shopping. I contemplated getting a new coat... I was wearing the coat I took to wear if it was raining or if I wasn't at work, and it just isn't warm enough. Most of the stores didn't open until 3 or 4 PM, and I decided to head home.
After arriving, I started wandering. My "Northern Italy" guidebook doesn't actually cover Lecco (though other lakeside towns are included) so I didn't have a plan of specific sights to see, besides the mountains and lake. On my way to the lake I stopped at a bar to get a coffee - I think I did ok, but I certainly haven't mastered the art of ordering an espresso. The Italians seemed surprised that I, as an American/foreigner, want an espresso. I think I should be able to just order a caffe to get an espresso, but even when I order an espresso or ristretto the barista typically clarifies that I want an Italian coffee.
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| Why yes, that is the Italian equivalent of a "Little Free Library" in the foreground. |
After briefly warming up on the ristretto, I started walking along the lake. It was beautiful, and I contemplated how much of the scenery and experience I can describe in Italian. A family asked me to take their picture (in Italian) and I managed to respond and do so. There were some people kiteboarding on the water- I cannot fathom a wetsuit warm enough for that water!
I walked for some time, passing some restaurants that I remembered later for lunch. I stopped in one shop (art and jewerly) and possibly managed to construct a sentence that would mean "I'm just looking". It was the sort of place where there are no visible price tags, and I decided I probably had not fall in love with anything... Then, I found a tea shop. Sadly they did not take credit card, but luckily I had a lot of cash. I think I've now managed to buy at least 3 months of loose leaf tea - two of my favorites (lapsang souchong, pu erh) and an exciting oolong.
The shops were starting to close for lunch, but many of the restaurants were fairly empty. I knew I wanted some place where I could sit and eat, rather than a quick bite at a tavola calda/bar. However, the cheaper ones are all "surgelato" - they prepare and serve frozen food. This is fairly typical in Italy (for inexpensive fare) and I decided to splurge on a nicer lunch. I looked at a few menus offering fresh fish, and ended up heading back to one of the restaurants I had passed earlier.
I went to an Indian restaurant for lunch, which was a great idea. I chose one of their combination lunches which included a fish curry, and had an excellent hot tea. Even though I didn't finish the main plate or the dessert, I was still so stuffed that I just had to sit by the water and digest for awhile. So good! Interestingly, this is one of the few places where the waiter started speaking to me in English (without me asking). I didn't think of it until later in the meal, but English is widely used in India, so the Indian staff are very likely to speak English.
I wandered a bit more, taking some pictures and window-shopping. I contemplated getting a new coat... I was wearing the coat I took to wear if it was raining or if I wasn't at work, and it just isn't warm enough. Most of the stores didn't open until 3 or 4 PM, and I decided to head home.
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| Old city! The remnants of the old walls, protecting Lecco from dragons and whatnot. |
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