Project Runaway

After Rome, Lucca definitely has a slower pace. We took the train from Rome to Florence and then another from Florence to Lucca.

Lucca is a walled medieval town that has maintained its character through the centuries. The wall completely circles the historic core of Lucca. It is very wide on the top and has a path that you can bike or walk. Napoleon took such a liking to this town he gave it to his sister. It was her idea to plant trees along the top and turn it into a park.

Our apartment is in the historic core in a quiet piazza called San Matteo. We are number 8. We are, I guess you could say, in the ‘penthouse’ of the building. The apt is as least 1500 sq ft. It has a private rooftop terrace and the views are stunning.

My favorite thing about the apt are in fact the windows themselves. Solid wood with built in shutters and beautiful hardware. They are works of art.The inner windows of the apartment is where you can really see and here Lucchese life. Women hanging laundry, children playing or crying or being scolded, dogs barking, cats meowing, people shouting at each other in Italian. It seems that Italians only talk at one decibel and that they are perhaps vying for it. Whomever talks loudest is the winner?

From the dining room you can see the towers and churches of Lucca. Some of the towers have gardens and trees on growing on them. The San Michele church faces us and the archangel Michael watches us eat our meals. Apparently he can flap his wings, which church guys would do to ‘wow their gullible flock’.

There is still lots to explore in Lucca, we have not done all the touristy things. We are taking it slow, feeling our way along, learning to adjust to this new world and how we are going to fit into it.

In the meantime, I look out my windows and try to comvince myself that I am really here and not on the set of a Roberto Benigni movie. But if we are, perhaps there is a bit part out there for us to play?

Dining Room Window

Inner view from Master bedroom

archangel Michael keeping an eye on us

I am in the process of setting up a link to our Flickr account to show many more pictures of our travels!