A Quiet Weekend in Lanciano

---

Not much happening here this weekend. George and Debbie went to a conference in Istanbul so I am here in Lanciano on my own. Spent Saturday morning wandering around the market. They have a market every Saturday morning that takes up much of the downtown area. The vendors set up stalls and sell clothes, house wares, shoes, material, furniture and of course the ubiquitous electronics you see at any flea market. The locals come out to do their Saturday shopping and also go to the fruit and vegetable market for fresh produce. It seems everyone in the town is out and they stay out most of the day shopping, walking and saying hello to one another as they pass on the corso.

In the afternoon I went for a walk that Terry discovered when he was here. It is the “Pilgrim” walk which goes from Lanciano to Ortono and the St. Thomas the Apostle Cathedral. It is 26 km long; don’t worry I only do 3 or 4. The pilgrims travel the route to the cathedral where the bones of St. Thomas (the doubting Thomas) are kept in a crypt. It really is a beautiful walk with vineyards on one side and olive groves on the other and right now the wildflowers are blooming so the road is lined with spectacular colour, even the odd poppy blowing here and there. As you walk along you can see the beautiful snow capped Mount Maiella in the distance. The only drawback to the walk is the hills . . . the many, high, long hills. Most of them are manageable but the last one is about 90 degrees. Terry will say I’m exaggerating but it sure feels like it’s 90 degrees at the end of 4 km. I’ll have to start walking the Laird Hill when I’m home just to maintain my fitness level.

Sunday is, of course, Palm Sunday the end of Lent and the beginning of Holy week so there are candles in front of many houses to light the way along the walk. Easter is a major holiday in Italy and this Thursday will be the annual Good Friday procession in Lanciano. It couldn’t come at a better time for me. I just finished teaching Medieval Theatre in my drama classes and now the students will get to experience a type of theatre that has lasted here since the Dark Ages. I tried to include a video taken of last year’s procession by one of the teachers here to give you some idea of what I am talking about but it was taking forever to upload so you'll have to settle for one picture which really doesn't do justice to the event. There is a parade of men in habits with hoods to cover their faces. One of them is selected secretly to carry the cross and he does so in bare feet. Everyone watching is totally silent and there is a group playing mournful music as the walk through the streets of Lanciano. So totally medieval; it's awesome!

So that’s about it from sunny Lanciano. It's 5:00 and time for a glass of wine. Hope you all have a great week.

---

Photos

Mount Maiella
Not bad to be able to look at that when you go for a walk!