I said goodbye to my family in Napoli and hopped on two trains to get to a little Tuscan town called Lucca.
Why Lucca?
It was pretty random, I know. When I bought my plane ticket to Italy, I knew I wasn't going to head back to the States with my family. I was excited about the idea of working while I traveled, so I took advantage of that. I knew that I wanted to go back to Tuscany one day, so I thought there was no question about where my first stop was going to be. There's something idyllic and extraordinary about that region.
So one day, I read an article written by The New York Times on alternatives to overcrowded destinations. Lucca was among the ones listed in Tuscany and the rest was history! Also, that's my brother's nickname so I saw it as another reason to go!
CIAO BELLA!
I had arrived at the local train station with my two heavy backpacks and the need to find a restroom (I know TMI but necessary to the story). Unfamiliar with my surroundings, I stood by the taxi line and anxiously waited. A few minutes later, a group of people walked up behind me and caught the eye of an incoming taxi driver fixing to drop someone off. The driver quickly looked at me and then rested his eyes on the group, giving them the okay I'll be back in five minutes' response. They smiled at each other in victory and avoided making eye contact with me. Seriously?!
It's a small town so that meant if these guys got first dibs on what seemed like the only cabbie, then I was screwed. Instead of getting pissed (because I really wanted to), I got over it, plugged in my Airbnb's address to my gps and walked the 20 minutes. I crossed the busy street to make my way to Lucca's Renaissance walls.
My first steps into this fortified Tuscan-town were met by dozens of bikers, adorable families and refreshing raindrops. While people were taking cover, I looked up and smiled, this is beautiful. God, thank you, thank YOU!! I continued to briskly make my way to my destination since I still really needed to go to the restroom--Hah!
Drenched in sweat and rain, I made it to my cozy apartment located on what seemed like the 100th floor of the building (it wasn't, I had to walk up maybe six flights of steep stairs). I was greeted by my sweet host and promptly freshened myself up so that I can grab some much-needed food. Gelato was my appetizer, of course! ;)
With absolutely no plans, I decided to walk around the city. You can't really get lost here because at some point, you'd eventually hit a wall (like literally ... remember Lucca is surrounded by a wall). Wandering around led me to find this antique market tucked between two buildings. I spent some time looking through old photos, magazine clippings and books. Since I was limited in space, I ended up buying a small tin-based painting of a Tuscan villa surrounded by cypress trees and a distant vineyard. It was the size of my palm so I felt good about this purchase.
MY AIRBNB
Bed & Breakfast Evelina felt like home. I'd wake up, get ready and head over to the quaint terrace that overlooked Lucca's belltower. I'd sit, drink a warm cup of coffee and eat whatever sweet pastry they offered. My first full day here was spent finalizing things at work (it was the first magazine launch I had been apart of with Rank & File). I worked out on that terrace and would occasionally look up and think AHHH WHAT IN THE WORLD!!!!! I finished my tasks and decided to explore a bit more.
This space was a haven to me and a huge reason why my time in Lucca was worthwhile. Thank you for your hospitality, Silvia!
CLIMBING TOWERS & WANDERING
I mentioned earlier how I spent most of my time wandering around, but here are a few highlights from these curious walks:
- An emerald coat in a small shop window caught my eyes. I stopped, slowly faced it in awe and walked right up to the window. My internal dialogue went something like this, Amanda, you don't need to try that on. You don't have room in your backpack! Oh, but it wouldn't hurt to TRY it on. You'll regret it, trust me. Come on, Amanda, come on! I walked in and was greeted by a woman eager to clothe me in every garment her shop had. I asked her if I can try on the emerald coat and you guessed it, I LOVED IT!! It turned out that it was made from recycled fabric by a woman out of Florence-- Alarm bells were going off in my mind and heart! This was meant for me. I did need something warm for Paris... Everything I packed was (stupidly) only for warm weather. So, I proudly walked out of that little eclectic shop with a chic handmade emerald coat...SCORE! ;P
- Lunch. I'd usually find myself a nice restaurant with a view...people watching, of course ;) I looked back at journal entries I wrote and would always talk about how much I loved sitting down and watching people go about their days (while sipping on wine of course)!
- Towers, mansions and churches. I'm that person who loved history class...I remember one time correcting my teacher because he got the date of the Magna Carta wrong...UGH, amateur ;P So climbing these stairs and reading about who built them and their purpose had me truly living my best life! I got a birds-eye-view from a rooftop garden, slowly walked into massive cathedrals with the most beautiful stained glass windows and found myself in lavish mansions. It was jaw-dropping.
- Being recognized. During my last night in Lucca, I was heading back to my Airbnb when I heard my name being called out. I thought, surely that's not for me, but you know, I turned anyway. The waiters at the restaurant I went to earlier that week recognized me! I had the warmest and fuzziest feelings because it felt so good to be welcomed in a place that you know absolutely no one!
BIKE & WINE TOUR
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for allowing me (a known clutz) to survive this tour!! When I booked it, I thought it was the coolest thing to combine biking (which was the thing to do in Lucca) with an organic vineyard tour. It sounded great in theory, but I was soon hit with the reality of oh shoot...maybe I should hold off on drinking all of the wine...
We were biking through narrow passageways, alongside highways and beautifully rural roads. I was a silent ball of nerves. But it was all quickly forgotten thanks so my fantastic guide, Alessandro, and the sweetest Dutch family! They made the entire experience so much fun, and by the end of it, I felt like I was a part of their family. Clearly, I'd be the black sheep of the family, being that they were incredibly tall and I'm incredibly short!
We toured an organic, family-owned vineyard called Tenuta Dello Scompiglio. Our group sat outside and munched on freshly-made bread and the yummiest assorted meats while tasting their signature red wines. It was the most gorgeous day and it all felt even more worthwhile because I was able to learn more about two completely different cultures: Italian and Dutch.
If you're ever in this area, I highly highly recommend heading over to Amazing Lucca and booking this tour--it was one of the biggest highlights of this trip!
WELCOME TO MY CRIB ;)
LAST EVENING
My last evening was spent savoring this unbelievable city. I finished writing some postcards, ate at a restaurant overlooking the plaza, asked the waiter to choose his favorite dishes so that I could try them, and slowly thanked this place for treating me so well.
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