Dear Luccan Lovees,
We were on a roll and so confident were we that we were prepared to tackled the two hour drive to Lucca. Now you may think, well, they have hired the car, what choice do they have. But it is quite scary. Italians drive like lunatics. The main autostradas are chock a block full of trucks and it takes a bit of bravado to think you can join in this throng. But you do because you need a car to get around here.
Well, our evil monster GPS decided to play nicely today and we got to Lucca sans difficulty. Got a park and went inside. Lucca is surrounded by walls 12 meters high and four kilometers long. At the top of these brick wall is a wide boulevard thatcirculates the wholecity where nowadays people walk, bike or inline skate around the top of the city but in the olden days, soldiers would patrol the walkway for enemies seeking to invade the city.
We commenced meandering and put simply, we just loved Lucca.it has the charm of Florence but without the crowds, it has real people living there and going about their business in the most unique setting that is incomprehensible to a native of a country just a few hundred years of age. People riding bikes everywhere as only local transport carriers are allowed, doggies on leashes and a wonderful age diversity. Just terrific.
We found a beautifully decorated shop that had patisseries and coffee to die for, beautiful
tiled floors and mirrors and brass in abundance. We enjoyed a coffee and pastry at the bar like a local and just revelled in the place.
Then we found the outlet shop...............
Boots, jackets, pants and jumpers. We put a permanent dint in the credit card but hey, how often does one get to buy current fashion from a medieval village, I ask you?
Then we discovered "Smith Street, Lucca - a vibey alternative cool little street with good music, alternative cool looking waitresses with serious ink and great great food. It was here that I discovered Dad had fallen off the ladder at our place putting the finishing touches to the pergola he had decided to rebuild for us and is now in the Austin Hospital with a seriously bad break of his leg that will no doubt end his promising AFL career as a a rookie on the draft for 2012. He is awaiting surgery and if you can send your good wishes into the cosmos for him, I would be most grateful.
Margaret is holding up well and is keeping us posted. You feel pretty useless this far away.
We headed home after a lovely lunch at Lucca and with no diversions so the evil machine thingy was genuinely being nice to us to day.
Lookout for bargains and wobbly ladders people!
Kelly & Siobhan
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