The Best-Laid Schemes O’ Mice an’ Men

It all began with a late train that caused us to miss our connection back to Lucca. We ended up having to pool our remaining cash and take a taxi. Then, because we returned so late, we decided to sleep in a bit and take a later morning train to Florence, not realizing that there were no connections during the afternoon siesta hours. My original plan to take a cooking class was scrapped too, due to conflicting schedules.

This is how we found ourselves with an open day in Lucca, after our best-laid plans had gone awry. We finally decided to take a train to Montecarlo to go wine tasting, upon the recommendation of the clerk at the apartment we were staying at. A word to the starstruck: Montecarlo, Italy and Monte Carlo, Monaco are two very different places. We were told that once we got to the train station in Montecarlo, that the wineries could be accessed via a short taxi ride. Well, we got off the train and there was nobody around. It was deserted.

We could see a bell tower at the top of a hill in the distance and what looked like a castle, so we decided to walk.

It felt like an adventure. It was quiet, there were no cars around and it was well, really, really, hot. We began to sweat as we walked by olive groves, vineyards and adorable houses-any one of which I could easily live in.

We continued up a narrow, treelined path and finally got to the top. We walked though a stone arch and were instantly transported back in time to a medieveal town.

This is what I was talking about in a earlier post about veering off the beaten path. There were absolutely no tourists, it was quiet and beautiful. We were looking for a winery to go wine tasting, but weren’t having much luck. We wandered by an artisian hard at work.

We walked by an abandoned building, and could hear the buzz of thousands of bees. I could only imagine the honey that was dripping from inside. We decided not to venture in to find out.

We walked by a courtyard that looked out over the valley below. There was also a fortress, built in the 13th century. Finally, after walking around a corner we found this:

They let us in, and we sat outside on the patio, drinking wine and talking, all the while soaking up the beautiful view.

Walking down the hill was much easier in the twilight hours, warm from the wine and cooler from the shade created by the setting sun. On the way back to the train station, we walked by an abandoned mansion for sale and peeked in the windows and wandered around the grounds.

I can only imagine how beautiful this place once was.

I don’t think this would have been nearly as fun if we had a map.

Veering off this beaten path happened again in Siena. We rented a car and drove through absolutely stunning countryside. We never could have seen this from a train. We were driving along S-222, which we found about in our RIck Steves’ guide. We walked around a deserted village, and took some pictures.

We could hear voices from across the road, where the winery was. We walked over, only to find out it was full for the next few hours. Undeterred, we drove down the road till we found a restaurant. There were only a few other people inside, and the food was fantastic. They served this:

Italy’s version of potato chips. Thin slices of French bread drizzled in olive oil.

We happened to drive by this resort, and made a mental note to stay here if we ever find our way back to Italy.

We were in search of an open winery, and finally found one, only to find out it was closed for a wedding. Foiled again, or so it seemed until we drove on down the road. We had once last chance before we got back to Siena. We drove up, and a very nice lady walked to the end of the drive and greeted us. We were thinking she was going to tell us to go away, but she was welcoming us in. We were at Il Castagno, a boutique hotel, restaurant, winery and olive oil mecca. Bonanza. The staff was very accommodating and so very nice. We sat down at a table and ordered wine and appetizers. Our waiter, who spoke English, began to tell us about Tuscan wine.

“It is meant to be enjoyed with friends and family,” he began, “over conversation.” He paused and added in a voice thick with an Italian accent “and with lovers.” He told us that he could not understand why people drink alone, or why they come home from a long day’s work and drink in the kitchen. He said that is when problems start to happen. And to think this beautiful place is only a five minute drive from Siena.

So sometimes when those best laid plans go awry, go with it. Stop. Explore. See. You may just be surprised at what you discover.

Pushing Boundaries in Cinque Terre

All I wanted to do was to lay on the beach and soak up the warm, Mediterranean sun.

I shook out my little hotel towel, sat down, and began to breathe in the fresh, ocean air.

I was interrupted mid-breath by a lady selling massages. I politely declined.

Once again, I took a deep breath, looked out into the ocean and marveled at how beautiful this place was.

Then, a man selling sunglasses blocked my view, asking if I wanted to buy.

“No thanks,” I replied.

These propositions did not stop.

A man came by selling beach blankets, and then another came by peddling bracelets.

I had refused all until I saw the man with the beach blankets.

Shifting around uncomfortably on my hotel towel, I asked, “How much?”

“Thirty-five,” he said.

Still reeling from overpaying in Venice for those whirly-gig toys, I told him no, then asked if he would take ten.

He looked at me with mock incredulousness, then said “twenty-five.”

I shook my head and tried not to make eye contact.

He started to walk away then turned around and asked, “fifteen?”

I told him no again, narrowed my eyes, and repeated my number.

He smiled and said “OK. Ten.”

I was in Monterroso al Mere, one of the five villages that make up the Cinque Terre (The Five Lands). While we only did a day trip from Lucca to this region, It is worthy of two days and a night. Worthy not because of museums and churches and art, but just to relax and be present in all that is Italy. We started at this northernmost town and worked our way south by boat. Each of these five towns can be accessed by train or on foot. Hiking paths that vary in difficulty, and trains with village stops, connect the Cinque Terre to the outside world. We decided that traveling by boat was the best way to go. Unlike trains, the boats were timely and it only took 5-10 minutes to get from town to town while breathing in the fresh, salty air. Besides, the view from the boat was breathtaking.

Each of the villages in the region have their own unique stamp. I Loved Monterroso because of the wide, sandy beaches and shallow waters.

I loved Manarola because of the quiet, hilly streets that began at the dock and passed by churches, gardens and homes. I found that the higher we climbed up the hill along the streets, the more local it seemed.

We walked into this peaceful church, and heard the bells ring forth.

We could feel the fresh breeze coming off from the ocean below.

I loved Riomaggiore because of what I learned there. While we were walking up the dock toward the village, we saw several people swimming out to rocks that were about 30 feet high. They were jumping from them.

We stopped and watched for awhile, as one by one they gathered up courage to jump into the clear, aqua seas. A girl approached our group and asked one of us to video her jumping. She joked that her mom was not going to be happy when she saw the video, because the last thing her mom said to her was, “Now be safe and don’t do any thing crazy!” She handed us her phone, swam out to the rock and climbed to the top. She was visibly nervous, and she kept telling herself aloud that she could do this. Finally, she jumped. She had conquered her fear and done it. Everyone was cheering and clapping. She came over to us to get her phone, giddy and shaking with excitement and adrenaline. I was proud of her, and I learned that we all need to push our own self-imposed boundaries sometimes to see where it may lead us.

As the sun set on Cinque Terre, and we boarded the train back to Lucca, I thought what a wonderful place this “five lands” is. Each village is just waiting to teach the visitor a thing or two about beauty, boundaries, and life.

Sounds of Lucca and Pisa

Quaint shops carved into medieval buildings, homes splashed in color with potted geraniums, twisting, cobblestoned streets, and an ancient Roman amphitheater mark the city of Lucca, Italy.

Lucca is a walled city, and it is no wonder that this place has been protected for the last 2,000 years. The wall that surrounds Lucca is fortified with brick and topped with a 2 1/2 mile dirt path, and is wide enough for walkers, strollers, bikers and joggers to easily traverse without bumping into each other. Back in the day, the city could be closed up through gates and drawbridges, and several ramparts are still here that jut out from the path. These ramparts (pictured below) served as lookout areas, where the calvary could go to see if intruders were coming.

Lucca’s well-preserved wall is the only wall in Italy that can be biked, walked or run upon.

While here, we stayed at B&B Anfiteatro, which is within the city wall. The building that our apartment was housed in was hundreds of years old. It came with a fully stocked kitchen, a washing machine, a roomy bathroom, a living room area and a separate bedroom. I felt like a local, as we rode bikes, cooked dinner, strolled the streets and dined al fresco. There are bars where you can get croissants and coffee in the morning, foccacia in the afternoon and wine and gelato in the evenings.

Fresh bread delivered every morning to doorsteps. Wow!

I love the screenless windows in Italy. It seems like every town has them, and whenever I opened my windows in Lucca, I could hear sounds of happy, busy lives. Clanking dishes, sizzling pots, engines from tiny cars and motorcycles and the thump of soccer balls were all mixed in with conversation, laughter and bells. Italy’s church bells ring all the time, and it adds a nice touch to any moment throughout the day. Whenever the bells began, I would try to stop and look around at my surroundings and soak it all in.

If you look up while in Lucca, the first thing you notice is an abundance of towers. During the 1300’s, families built towers atop their homes as a symbol of prestige and status. You can climb one of these towers- the Guinigi tower- to get a good view of the city.

I recommend climbing to the top of any available tower in whatever Italian city you are in. It is a great way to get a bird’s eye view of the layout of the land, and to marvel at the wonder of it all.

The main piazza, and the largest in Lucca is Piazza dell’Anfiteatro. It is built upon the ruins of a Roman ampitheater. Restaurants with plenty of outdoor seating line the edges, along with souvenir and nick-nack shops. Summer concerts are held here as well, and it’s a great place for people watching.

Part of the ancient Roman amphitheater is still visible at one of the entrance to Piazza dell’Anfiteatro.

Lucca has good shopping too, with trendy stores alongside boutiques. We were lucky that our trip coincided with an annual antiques market. Vendors came from all over Italy to sell their treasures. If I only had unlimited funds for purchases and shipping, I could have gone hog wild.

One night we decided to take advantage of our kitchen and eat in, so we stopped at a deli to try our hand at Italian cooking. We got noodles, tomatoes and olive oil, but were in need of more things that the deli did not have out for sale. A very kind deli worker sold us things from behind the counter so we would have a complete meal. In regards to cooking, if instruction is desired in this area, chef Paolo Monti’s has a cooking school called Cucina Italiana. Half-day classes are only $20 euros, which is a bargain, considering you get to stuff yourself with whatever you’ve cooked. A half-day class goes from 10am to 3. It’s a good choice for something to do during a day when you are tired of traveling around and need some downtime.

Lucca is really close to Pisa. A bus took us from the center of town to Pisa in about 20 minutes. We viewed the Leaning Tower of Pisa, took dorky pictures, and wandered around the grounds. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a bell tower, and it began to lean during construction in the year 1173, due to the soft nature of the ground upon which it is built.

Perhaps the neatest thing we did was this: we went into the Pisa Baptistery of St. John. We wandered into it by default really, because the duomo that we wanted to go into was closed for mass. The Baptistery is a domed building, and every half hour, one of the guards sends three notes into the stratosphere. The notes echo back and a beautiful symphony is created. It was the coolest thing! Click on the video below to hear the sounds of the baptistery.

Lucca is a delightful city and serves well as a jumping off point to many other places in the area. It’s close to Florence, Cinque Terre and the Tuscany region and is decidedly non-touristy.