Sitting enjoying a glass of wine outside Ciclo Divino in Lucca’s centro storico the other night I watched a large family group gathered at the bar opposite.
Mums, dads, brothers, sisters, grandparents who fussed over young children, and a toddler gamely attempting his first kicks at a ball. Behind them, younger members of the group, joking, swapping stories and at one point bursting into short choruses of song.
I couldn’t hear the accent but would have guessed Irish – and another guess that this was a pre-wedding get-together, there was just something about the evident sense of happiness wafting over the group.
And that was us exactly one year ago – our 50-plus group of family and friends – here in Lucca for the Covid-cancelled wedding on 26 May of my son Liam and his childhood sweetheart Sarah.
This week, my first of eight of living and working in this unique Tuscan town, I have walked familiar streets half expecting to bump into those same friends and family, dotted around various cafes and bars as they got to know this special place and fell into step with its chilled vibe.
Liam, and his sister Lyndsey, first visited Lucca with me about 20 years ago, he was aged 12, and he has been back several times since, with Sarah coming on various family trips in recent years, so it was an appropriate choice for their wedding.
From start to finish it was a week we will never forget. The sun shone. Lots. Temperatures were hitting the high 30s Centigrade in what turned out to be Tuscany’s hottest May in 40 years. Not great for the kilt wearers amongst us and the girls struggled too, but better than the risk of rain with a home wedding back in Scotland.
The pre-wedding drinks reception at Undici Undici, overlooking an ornamental fountain and a pebble’s throw from the city’s beautiful San Martino cathedral, got the party started and set the stage for this long-anticipated coming together of two people who have been loving each other since the ages 15 and 17 (Sarah was a bit of a predator, but the police refused to press charges!).
On the wedding morning itself the guests gathered in Lucca’s ancient centre, Piazza San Michele, where we were met by Scottish Piper in Italy, Nick MacVicar, and his lovely wife Mascha who was heavily pregnant with their second baby.
Nick, resplendent in full Highland regalia and piping Flower of Scotland from the balcony of a pharmacy, after the owner kindly invited him upstairs, is a memory many of us will hold dear. After a few cold beers (us, not Nick), we were piped past the always impressive San Michele in Foro church and through the narrow streets to the old city gate at Porta Sant’Anna where a coach waited to take us to Villa Grabau for the ceremony.
The wedding service in the grounds of the 16th century villa was pitch perfect, as were the beautiful words of my daughter to her brother and his wife-to-be. Arriving by Cinquecento, Sarah was stunning, as she walked up the long driveway on the arm of her proud father John, and Liam struggled to hold back the tears as he waited patiently for his bride – in fact we all did.
The drinks reception, typical Tuscan wedding dinner, great speeches and evening dancing which followed in the villa’s former Lemon House melded perfectly to produce a day full of laughter, new friendships made, family bonds strengthened – and happily extended to Sarah’s family – and altogether was an overwhelmingly joyful celebration.
If you could freeze time, or if we only had the power to revisit these special days . . .
So, my bad, son and daughter-in-law, for forgetting to send a card to mark this happy event before I left Edinburgh – but I look forward to making up for it and celebrating with you both (and my soon-to-arrive grandson) when you visit Lucca next week.
Love dad xxx