Rainy Days In Lucca

Drizzly weather our first week in Lucca. The medieval wall is my favorite sight so far, and I don’t mean that in a disparaging way. The delightful, car free, two-and-three-quarter miles walk around the top of the wall is something I wish every city had.

The tree-lined path at the top is wide enough for bikes, walkers, runners, and wayward dogs to share. There is plenty of shade and cool grass. Benches and water fountains are plentiful. The wall is restful and high enough it feels removed from the city below. The walk features constantly changing views in and outside of the old town. Green Tuscan hills and mountains frame the views in the distance.

The old town within the walls is fun to walk through without any sort of agenda or plan. We have attempted to get lost a few times but the old city isn’t really big enough to stay lost for long. Still, you can wander for several miles down the twisty medieval streets.

Front door of San Michele.

Alley view from Cafe Turandot.

The weather has been too rainy and chilly to sit and draw for very long. I hope to sketch more after Easter.

As soon as the weather did break, we climbed one of Lucca’s famous towers: Torre Guinigi. Trees have been growing at the top since the Renaissance. The views are stunning.

We have also been enjoying the local produce. Lucca is in a major agricultural region. Around the corner from our apartment is an amazing produce-focussed grocery store. The walls are stacked floor to ceiling with fresh produce.

Meal planning goes like this: Walk along the wall to the best foccaciaria in Lucca for breakfast (hummus and grilled vegetable foccacia with chickpea cecina and coffee). Wander back to the produce market. See what looks good or smells good, stuff a bunch of it into little paper bags, then ask the “vegetable concierge” what kind of pasta we should try with our selection of random vegetables.

Tomatoes that taste like tomatoes. Carrots that taste like carrots. Huge malformed bell peppers that make me think I didn’t know what a bell pepper was supposed to taste like. So many kinds of mushrooms. More garlic than we have eaten in the last year. Fresh crispy asparagus. Arugula. Cannellini.

Between the rain, the foccaciaria, and our local produce market, Sara and I have gained a few pounds since hiking in Cinque Terre.