People from Lucca have "short arms and deep pockets"

I learned this gem today from our tour guide Elena wh explained to me that it was simply a matter of human evolution relating to the stinginess of the Luccan people.All I know is that they make some awesome food with those short arms, but more of that later.
Today in class we made tagliatelle (a homemade pasta basically like short, flat fettuccine) with a sauce of wild asparagus to go on it. Additionally, we made a baked fritter of some sort consisting of sliced fennel bulb that had been blanched and then tossed with olive oil and Parmesan Reggiano and salt then topped with another layer of parmesean and baked in the oven. AWESOME... Also, we made a mocha-gelato that made me want to cry.
But, the real story was... I somehow managed to have an onion out of my hand and subsequently slide the edge of the knife right into the top of my left index finger. It didn't want to stop bleeding at first, but stopped after about 20 minutes and now I can hardly notice it, so it's all good, albeit embarrassing.
Anyway, after our cooking lesson and lunch we went to to Lucca about 30 minutes east of here in the foothills of theApuan Alps here in Northern Tuscany. Lucca is really cool place, and aside from the rain and lightning that has been coming down like nothing I've ever seen in my life since last night when it woke me up at 5 am, Lucca is EXTREMELY  beautiful. (new pictures up at http://picasaweb.google.com/harrison.d.sonntag )
The real story was the food, however. Besides the already mentioned cecina, I had the greatest foccacia in my life drissled with olive oil and topped with roasted tomatoes. Also, I had brigidni which are basically like crispy fortune cookies infused with anise giving them one of the strangest and most beautiful flavors I've ever experienced. Anyway, it's time for dinner now and hell hath no fury like Italian woman who has guests late to her table, so I have to get going.