Switching gears (no pun intended), my first business item after I recovered from jet lag was to buy a bicycle. A bicycle just makes my life SO much easier here in Lucca. So I WALKED out to check with an American owner/Italian resident of a local bike shop that I had met on my last trip here. My first hope when I went shopping 2 months ago was to buy a used bike from a local shop that I could just use and lose if need be when I left. That proved to be nearly impossible. None of the shops wanted anything to do with selling a used bike. They would gladly sell me a new bike right out of the carton, but nobody seemed willing to sell me a used rental bike from their stock because they would lose the rental income and they probably just didn't want the hassle of dealing with the repairs. It was new or nothing.
The name of the shop I wanted was wicked easy for me and my feeble memory to cling to. The shop was called "AMICI BICI". It's a play on the sound of two Italian words..."Amici" which translates as "Good Friends" and "Bici" which is the short form of "Bicycletes"... bicycles.
Amici is pronounced a-mee-chee. Bici is pronounced Bee-chee.
So when these words are said together in Italian, they rhyme! Smart. Something even I could remember.
Easy to remember. Amic Bici. Good Friends/Bikes.
My luck wasn't particularly good as far as the weather was concerned. It was steam heat for my first 4 days here in Lucca. Daytime temps hovering around 105 degrees with not a cloud in the sky. But my luck was much better when it came to buying a used bike. Lori, the shop owner, had just taken in a good quality used bike as part of a sale for a new bike for an established customer. I just happened to walk in a couple days after she got it in. Total serendipity. We agreed on a price. I came back the next day to get it, and the rest is history... as we say.
But wait. There is more!
Lori wouldn't let the bike out of her shop until she made several upgrades. It really needed new tires so we agreed to put those on. Just add the tires onto the purchase price. It also needed a replacement light on the front and Lori just happened to have a spare that she had salvaged from another bike in the shop. She was unhappy with the old bell on the handle so she replaced that at her expense. She didn't like one of the plastic hand grips so she scrounged around for a spare one that was more secure. She adjusted the seat higher so it better fit me as I peddled. And we added a wire carrying basket on the rear so I could take it shopping. This is the final result of our (HER) work. Elegant...it aint. Practical it is!
My new set of wheels. Feel the wind in your face
Obviously, if this was just a little anecdote about buying a used bike, it would be kind of a useless waste of time. But it goes much deeper. This little exchange is the essence of life in a community. This is why we form relationships. This is why we try to get to know people. This is what keeps me coming back to Lucca. The bicycle is just a prop. The real story is friends, not things. I come back here because I know people here. They know me. We sort of don't need an introduction. There is no need to negotiate. I already know they need to earn a living. They already know I will be an ambassador for them if they treat me fairly. It's really very basic. Let's work together for our mutual benefit. Because, at the end of the day, we are going to meet again. Lucca is a small place. Life will be so much more pleasant if we cooperate.
Bicycles. Friends. Maybe even a basket for fido.
Friends... Amici.
Bici... Bicycles.
How's about we sit down and have a coffee together. I'll buy. Next time it will be your turn.
That's my story and I'm stickin to it
Dan
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