Lounging in Lucca

One thing we've learned from taking trips of this length is that at a certain point travel weariness sets in and you need to spend a couple days away from constant movement and stimuli.  You need to have some 'normal' days in order to keep going.

And Lucca has been the perfect place to do so.  This is a rather ancient city, but unlike Florence, it doesn't feel like you are in a living museum.  Rather, the centuries old buildings and streets are lived in, used in much the same way they have been used for generations.  There are tourists here of course, but it doesn't leave me with the impression that the city exists in an archeological display.  Locals seem to be part of the fabric here even in non service capacities.  

We have spent the last couple days really just living in Lucca. Visiting the shops, getting groceries, and really enjoying the apartment, which we believe may have been around at least since the early 19th century.  Perhaps it is the draw of our apartment, large and filled with art and books, but we've not felt the typical urgency to get out and about and see things.  Rather, we are slowly sipping the delights of this town, and trying in whatever capacity our short time here allows to be part of its fabric.

Some of the highlights in our wanderings: using a fair number of statuary as play structures, exploring little side streets in search of wall frescos that hang with the same laissez-faire as street signs, popping into little shops some with tourist kitsch, some with local works, eating some really nice meals and exploring some of the local tastes, admiring the marble facades and overwhelming carvings on the churches in the piazza.  

We also sought out a soccer gear store so that Ren could get the one thing he REALLY wanted from Italy - shin pads and soccer socks.  And, more importantly, we (ok, I and a tired Kiyomi who couldn't fall asleep) watched part of a Real Madrid vs. Seville Champions league match on the ridiculously large tv in a very cosy library/tv room.

Our apartment has been really comfortable and feels almost like home in some ways (ok, minus the art and books in every available space).  After so much travel, it has been nice to have a homey feel, and we've lingered and lounged perusing the books on the shelves, listening to the world outside reverberate on the cobblestone and brick, imagining what the story is behind this place, and trying to keep out a new furry friend the kids have made.  In fact, said furry friend made a middle of the night visit that nearly had me tossing her out a 4 story window!  To explain, there is a cat who hangs out on the little patio off the kitchen, and the kids have made every effort to make sure Coco, as they have named her, feels as at home as we do.  The problem is that Coco has nails that she likes to use on the carpets in here.  We figure the owners may not appreciate it.

The other problem is that Coco is a bit of an acrobat.  It took us a couple days to figure it out, but somehow she is scaling the wall and coming in the kitchen window when the patio door is closed.  Not really a problem for the most part, unless it's 2 am, and you are in the kids' bedroom because your daughter has called you in for the 4th time since midnight because she can't sleep as it seems she is worried about the cat coming into the house and sitting on her bed (you know typical 2 am fears) and you've just spent the last 10 minutes reassuring her there is no way the cat could get in as all the possible access windows have been closed and cats can't jump high enough to get to the others, but when you turn around to leave the room you catch a little white flash out of the corner of your eye and yelp before you are greeted with a soft, almost inquisitive little 'meow'!  I go back to the 4 story fling which I aborted, but honestly thought about for a few long seconds.

Perhaps because of that rather sleepless night as well, we've been inclined to take advantage of the holiday weekend to just chill.  August 15th is the Feast of the Assumption, apparently celebrated as a national holiday as it is the day that Mary ascended to heaven.  In Italy, it is your basic stat holiday, with most things closed except for tourist related services like museums.  

We spent today in a very similar way to the Lucchesi.  Had a leisurely morning, lingered over breakfast, and then headed for a stroll along the ramarts.  Lucca has a long and deep history, originally having been an Roman settlement, and then morphing into a medieval village and eventually a silk trade center.  The Roman amphitheatre actually even still remains, though the buildings surrounding it are now Rennaissane era.  

The old town in Lucca is encircled by a polygone shaped wall some 40 feet high.  Built in the 1500 and 1600s, the wall was intended to keep this city state safe from morauding power brokers in neighbour states.  By the 1800s and Napolean's domination of Italy, the wall was no longer needed for defensive purposes, but unlike other medieval towns, Lucca kept its wall.   The town of Lucca itself so charmed the little emperor that he made a gift of it to his sister, who had the wall turned into a park.  As a result, you can actually climb the ramparts and walk around the entirety of the old town.   

As there is a land  leading up to the top of the wall, you can't really tell you are on the wall until you peer over the edge.  The park itself was filled with strollers, cyclists, the odd roller blader and families enjoying their day off.  There are a few playgrounds along side the wall, and you can easily access some of the main piazza.

After most of the day "on the wall", we came home to hang out and have dinner in our large Tuscan kitchen.  There are more pots, pans, gizmos and gadgets than I have ever seen in a kitchen.  The cupboards are packed and the stove looks like it was installed sometime in the 50s.  This is a kitchen with a Miele dishwasher and a wood burning fireplace, with a big granite topped harvest table smack tab in the middle, all of which seem to exude a history of long family dinners and late night leftovers.  If that doesn't say home, what does really?

The parting shot for tonight is really just goofing in Lucca.  Good night from Lucca.