My First Two Weeks in Lucca

The purpose of this blog is to share with family and friends experiences, thoughts and special photos of my time in Lucca, Tuscany, Italy 2012.

This blog is for a ten-week adventure in Italy.  My best friend, Jeannie Walsh and I arrived in Lucca, Italy after an uneventful flight into the Pisa airport.  We were pleasantly greeted by a delightful gentleman named Giuseppe who drove us into Lucca.  We checked into our charming 3rd floor apartment on via Fillungo, inside the walls of the old city.  The first picture below is the lovely view from our balcony.

We have had a wonderful first two weeks.  Our main activity has been semi-private Italian language lessons with "Cristina" from The Lucca Italian School.  She comes to our apartment ten hours a week and it has been very challenging but loads of fun! We are getting to know our neighborhood pretty well (including some great shopping)!  We typically go to the same cafe each morning to get our cappuccino - Cafe Puccini. We have become regulars and the baristas (Marco and Maximilliano) know us by name!

On September 7th, we celebrated Jeannie's birthday at one of the many outdoor cafes. Pretty special to have a birthday in Italy!!  On Sunday, September 9, we went to a concert  honoring Giacomo Puccini at the Chiesa di San Giovanni (Church of San Giovanni).  This is the church where Puccini was baptized and spent many years. This concert is held everyday of the year at 7pm year round and is known as the only "permanent" festival in the world.

I hope that you will enjoy reviewing these photos and experiences as much I will enjoy sharing them!  

Ciao!
Donna

View from our balcony

Afternoon wine on the balcony

Our kitchen

Our living room 

Our street

Jeannie in Lucca

San Michele Church

One of the most beautiful cafes in Lucca:

Caffe della Mura

Inside Caffe delle Mura

The next 3 pictures are of the Old Renaissance Wall around the old city. There is a 3 mile loop above the city around the "ramparts" that Jeannie and I have been walking.  We're trying hard to walk off the vino and pasta!!

Close up of the the walking/running trail.  No excuse not to exercise!