A Tale of Lucca

 

A favorite way for us to explore our new home in Tuscany as a family is by taking day trips. Like  most things in Florence, the bus station is just a walk across town.



 

Lucca is a typical town in many ways,



but unusual in that it is one of the only cities in Tuscany that is still in tact, unharmed by bombing or war timedestruction.



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The girls enjoyed the locals who gathered that day for a "Fare Trade" expedition,

 


and  the new friends of Lucca who welcomed us to town! 

 


 

Lucca is a slow and quiet Tuscan town, a great place to take out our sketchbooks

and pay attention to the beauty around us.

               

The original wall ramparts of Lucca keep a type of park along its' perimeter, ideal for biking and walking.

 

It's harvest time all over Tuscany, which includes festivals and celebrations in most every town, 

including the chestnut festival, which we had right here in Lucca!




 


 





 





To the Beach



A few weeks ago, we were inspired by a sunny September in Italy and headed to the coast, spending two nights in Monterosso, the last in the string of sweet, small towns of Cinque Terre.





We took the day to climb up and over the hillside to Vernazza, the neighboring town. Along the way, we met a grape farmer selling his crop for 1 euro a bunch. Yum!




The trail went straight up at times,



and stretched out to show wonderful vistas and the town below,



Vernazza!





until we arrived at our destination,

 


The buildings in Cinque Terre are painted with warm, earthy colors and designs.




Each town is unique and tucked into the hillside.



The girls loved the climb and raced ahead of us.

Joe finally caught up on the way back,

but I stayed back to enjoy the walk, the lemon groves,



and sunset view.




The reward came at the end of the day for Sophia and Josephine, who loved the swim in the Mediterranean Sea!



Old Faithful

The most constant and reassuring landmark for us in Florence is also the largest and most popular place in the city, the Duomo.

 Even in our earliest days here in Florence, the girls could find their way home without a map. They simply followed the roads home via the Duomo.

Many people travel far and wait in lines to enter the Duomo. Some climb to the very top and enjoy a favorite and fullest view of the city. (We are waiting for the crowds to thin and to do what the tourists do....maybe some sunny day in December?)

The Duomo is known for its Gothic style of architecture and the big, striped green and white marble, a typical design in Tuscany and Florence. The multiple details of its' crafted exterior are beautiful.

Pippo the Fool, one of Sophia's favorite books, describes how the humble watch maker, Fillipo Brunelleschi, won a contest and priveledge to be the artist to complete the cathedral and construct the largest dome of the day (you will have to read the book to discover how Pippo did it, recovered his reputation and became the reknowned artist of his time!)

Josephine hasn't taken a bad photo of the Duomo,

...which stands within reach of all the things Joe loves in Florence!

Through Josephine's Lens

We walk most everywhere we go, Often, we find Josephine far behind us with her camera, capturing some detail of life here in Italy...

Home in Firenze

 Adjusting to living in Florence has come with... adjustments. Thank goodness for Joe, the "go-to" guy on all things Italian.

Angela, Joe's sister and a God-send to all of us, lives in Rome and has helped us in every way imaginable. Here is Angela and her two sweeties, Luca and Eva, on a weekend visit to see us in Firenze. (Angela's husband, Marco, was travelling with his work with the Food and Agriculture Organization.)

Outside Florence, in Fiesole, Sophia and Josephine scampered through the Roman ampitheatre and met John, an employee of the museum. John shared stories of the Etruscan times and passed along the special tip for hometown warriors, the ancient technique for "oil and hair" removal!

In and Around our New Home

 We live on the 4th floor of a 5 story period building (marble floors, wood shutters, and small elevator, which barely fits the four of us...)

 Our 2 bedroom apartment faces the south and looks onto Piazzale Massimo D'Azeglio in the northeast corner of Florence. We live adjacent to a park and childrens' playground, up the street from busy, open- air markets, shops and restaurants, away from tourist hot-spots, and about a 10 minute walk to the Duomo.