29 dicembre 2009
If I could live anywhere in the world ~ and money was no object ~ I would live in Lucca. I've visited St. Malo in Brittany, the island of Rhodes in Greece, and Lucca is, for me, the pinnacle of walled cities. There is such a sense of protection within Lucca's walls: the sanctity of the pedestrian, the preservation of culture and protection from a rapid city-paced way of life. Lucca refreshes the spirit in the way that diving into a cool pool of water on a hot summer day refreshes the body.
My favorite feature of Lucca is the wall: it's perfectly charming to walk on a summer's evening, and courtesy of "Uncle Rick", Lorienne and I took a brisk bike ride around the walls. We could see the marble in the Carrara mountains peeking between the trees. Lucca is the perfect destination for a "day off" from touring. It's small enough to wander at a leisurely pace, to follow a cat into a charming courtyard, and to sample the local garbanzo bean pizza, "cecina".
I had held off from buying any souvenirs for myself until I had purchased something very special for my niece: an Italian baptismal dress. I searched all over Florence, but due to the holidays, many shops were closed, or the dresses didn't seem right. I found a small children's clothing shop in Lucca...but on a Monday, it wouldn't open until 3:30 in the afternoon, and we would be leaving at 4:30! After riding around the wall, Lorienne and I went back to the shop, and I found the prettiest little dress for my jewel, Julia!
Topping off this amazing day, Dianne, Roxanne, Laura, Lorienne, Donato and I went to the Giglio Rosso and feasted on Bistecca di Fiorentina!
A lovely, lovely day!
