Uncle Harold The town of Hot Springs has a lot character, with its history of healing waters and bathhouses. Knowing that, I hoped we might meet some curious locals when Don and I traveled there. We met a few, but the person I'll remember best was "Uncle Harry". He wasn't exactly a hillbilly from the Ozarks though, he was a retired chef from Italy. |
Belle Arti But it was inside this cozy little Italian restaurant where we met some folks sitting at the bar. Don had lots of questions for bartender, Daniel who had been serving up drinks for 25 years. I was intrigued with the gentleman seated at the end of the bar. He spoke with a charming Italian accent, with just about everyone. At one point, he left his seat and headed into the kitchen. |
The man in the white shirt came back carrying a steaming plate of fettuccine and a basket of bread. Daniel handed him a 7up and the man frowned and pointed to my glass. Daniel fetched him a glass of Pinot Noir, but the man fussed that it wasn't filled as high as mine. I laughed and we started talking. "You're Uncle Harold?" I asked, since everyone seemed to call him that. A few others jumped in to brag on Uncle Harold. |
He reminisced about how the city wall made Luccas so special. "We didn't have cars!" he recalled. And that reminded me of my childhood reaction to Venice which also didn't have cars. "I remember it felt like a kids playground, where we could roam and play without traffic and beeping horns! I wondered where my old postcard collection was and wished I could show Uncle Harold. I found them when I returned from the trip and I wondered if Uncle H had gone to this Cathedral! |
Best Memory As we sat in that funny little bar, the 2 of us kept reflecting on our own memories of the same town. I asked if he knew of Villa Garzoni, the beautiful park, built in the 1600's, with a grand staircase and manicured gardens and fountains and waterways. He did know the park, that was in nearby Collodi, where the author of Pinocchio lived. |
So Thanks, Uncle Harold!
It was fun to meet you and learn about you. But mostly you brought up forgotten memories of a place that seems like a vague dream. I've never met anyone from Lucca and you made me realize there really was such a magical place. I didn't make it up!