Hillside Hamlets in Tuscany

Part of the fun in exploring Tuscany, I am discovering, is finding hamlets high in the hills that many people have never heard about. These places might not have the museums or art that lure tourists from near and far but they certainly have history and charm and beauty. They are in their own way living museums.

Starting a hike in the village of Nocchi.

I often am shown these places when hiking with one of the many trekking groups in the region. But driving is always another option (and sometimes I am so enchanted with a village during a hike that I drive back another day for more of a look).

Water once used to run mills

A villa in Nocchi

Old millstones

One recent hike led me and my fellow trekkers to three small villages in the municipality of Camaiore – Nocchi, Torcigliano and Gombitelli. Nocchi, our meeting point to begin the 15-kilometer trek, is among the oldest of the villages of Camaiore. It was established on a section of road that dates to Roman times. Situated in a beautiful valley, the village is an old mill town and remnants of those giant structures can still be seen today. The many mills were built along the Lucese (not Lucchese, as in Lucca) River and water was diverted through a “gora,” or millpond, to a mill’s huge stone wheels.

Geraniums

Overlooking a faucet in the forest

Capers growing in a stone wall

Nocchi had its share of villas as well – some of which remain today. Stone paths, buildings and walls – lined with gardens, gnomes and geraniums – make for a pretty spectacular sight. All three of these villages are lovingly tended to by today’s residents. We reached Torcigliano by hiking through what is now dense forest but once was land cultivated by the farmers of the area who grew, among other things, olives and chestnuts. Old faucets still dispense cold water (such a refreshing relief on a muggy summer day). One we stopped at had a small statue of the Virgin Mary watching over it. Mountain streams run through the land, a stone bridge that looks like it should be on the page of a fairy tale book crosses one of them and a long-abandoned mill is covered with vines and other greenery deep in the forest.

Simple beauty

Modern mural on an old wall

Non-stop faucet

Torcigliano – in addition to being a thing of beauty in and of itself – has modern-day murals on one long wall, as well as a running faucet at the side of one of the village walkways. It is a beautiful spot up close as well as from a distance. Seen from the surrounding hills as we walked to Gombitelli, its sun-baked rooftops surrounded by forest greens, it was easy to understand why people have lived here for so long.

Gombitelli

Gombitelli was once home to a castle, the ruins of which remain on a steep hillside (too steep and out of the way for our hike). It and Torcigliano were also known for their blacksmiths and ironwork. And Gombitelli is where a well-liked Italian sausage is made. It is a simple yet stunningly beautiful village set into the hillside with amazing views of Lucca in the distance.

Torcigliano

A fairy tale bridge

A fountain/piece of art

Peeking through a gate

An old mill

Gombitelli

A huge thanks to Tuscan Trail Tours for leading this adventure. I adore the big cities of Italy – Rome, Florence, Naples, etc. – and I am so charmed by the Tuscan towns that I have chosen to live in one (Lucca), but these and other hamlets have my heart as well.   -post by Judy

Italy in Phase Three

It’s July and here in Italy we have now moved into Phase Three of the COVID-19 response. This further easing of restrictions, which began on June 15, is a slow roll out of what promises to be a long period of the “new normal.”

Some measures remain in place. Masks are still required, though now only in enclosed public spaces (groceries, shops, offices, banks) or when in groups. Here in Lucca that means early morning walks on Le Mura (the walls surrounding the historic center) when there are no crowds can be enjoyed without a mask. Wow — that’s huge progress. When walking, masks are in hand, or around the neck, ready to be pulled into place when meeting someone and stopping to chat face to face.

Social distancing poles dot the beach in Lerici.

Social distancing is required, even on the beaches. Large group meetings are still banned and public schools remain closed.

Lucca Italian School, a private school where I continue to study Italian, has reopened for small, socially distanced group learning and priviate instruction (they also continue to offer online lessons). Thinking about the huge garden space that surrounds the school, and the large and lovely terrace, I know that this is the place to study Italian this summer!

Other big changes include playgrounds reopening as of mid-June (a joy for kids and parents alike) and the carousel in Lucca’s biggest piazza, Piazza Napoleone, is once again whirling happy children around and around on a variety of fantastic animals.

It wouldn’t be summer without a ride on Lucca’s beautiful carousel.

Amateur sports have been permitted since late June. Just think how happy Italian kids are to get back to playing soccer! Movie theaters and performance spaces have opened as well with limits as to the number of people admitted at any one time. The outdoor movies, a highlight of summer here in Lucca, have begun too. This year they will limit attendance, require advance seat reservations, and provide plenty of space between movie goers.

A spritz on Piazza San Michele - perfect on a summer evening and a post-lockdown treat

By mid-July nightclubs can begin to open, with socially distant dance floors. No dirty dancing allowed! And bring a mask for the dance floor, removing it to sip a drink when not dancing.

I must say that this is an activity I can skip altogether. I’m content with sipping a coffee at a cafe or a drink on a warm summer evening in a pretty piazza.

I have a new appreciation for these simple pleasures.

Travel is also opening up, with travelers from EU countries as well as England and Ireland, allowed to visit Italy without the need for a quarantine on arrival as of mid-June. Soon, travelers from non-EU countries who have managed to gain control of their COVID infections will be allowed to return as well. Sadly, the United States will not meet the requirements as COVID continues to run rampant there and so no tourists from the U.S. will be permitted to enter Italy (or most EU countries). It’s a bit unclear at this point when those of us who live in Italy, but need to make a trip back to the United States in the coming weeks, will be permitted to return to our Italian homes. One thing for certain is that we will need to self-quarantine for two weeks on our return.

A recent road trip took me past the tiny hill town of Castello di Nozzano. The ability to get out to hill towns, beaches, mountains, and cities is a huge benefit of Italy entering Phase 3.

The best part of the advance into Phase Three is that it means that with continued social distancing and prevention measures, Italy has, through much economic and social pain, not just flattened the curve but driven the new cases down to a trickle.

Preserving Nature Just Outside Lucca

The land of Tuscany is so varied and beautiful that I often feel like I’ll never know what I’ll find when I’m out exploring. That would have been the case when I visited Lake Massaciuccoli recently except that my co-writer, Joanne, had written a post about the lake in April 2019 and had told me she thought I would like the area. She was right!

Clouds are reflected in the lake.

Just a bit over 10 miles from the historic center of Lucca, the eastern shore of the lake is a protected wetlands oasis for birds. You can read about the history of this little gem here. But because Joanne visited when winter still had a hold on the area, we decided another look at Lake Massaciuccoli was in order.

Looking out one of the blinds at the lake

On this visit – in June of this year – nearly everything was adorned in spring colors. Various shades of green were everywhere – closeup in the marsh grasses, farther away in the trees on the surrounding hills. Wildflowers were growing as well, providing specks of white, purple, pink, and yellow in the fields of green. Ducks paddled in the lake under a partially cloudy sky but the warmth of the sun could be felt as I walked along the boardwalk that crosses the shallow marshy edges of the lake.

Of course, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, certain restrictions were in place. While there are several blinds established along the boardwalk to allow visitors to become engrossed in bird-watching, some were closed during this visit. And because the European Union had not opened to visitors from the outside yet, there were very few other people around. It was a perfect morning for an easy walk in nature, listening to birds, looking into the shallow water to see what swam beneath the boardwalk and catching glimpses of drangonflies and butterflies.

COVID-19 restrictions

Butterfly garden

Figs

There is a butterfly garden at one end of the walkway, which eventually leads back to the entrance – past neat rows of grapevines and under large fig trees. There’s a lot to learn about this area – from the flora and fauna to the history (in the nearby hills are Roman ruins)! It’s a nice bike ride from Lucca or a quick car trip. I’m sure I’ll be heading back soon.  -post by Judy

The Antiques Market Returns To Lucca

One of the many things missing during Italy’s COVID-19 lockdown was the monthly antiques market in Lucca. The market, always held on the weekend that includes the third Sunday of the month, is a local institution and something to look forward to for many people. But in the months of February, March, April and May 2020, the antiques market, along with so many other activities, was canceled.

The excitement was palpable then when it was announced that the market would resume in June. And what a return it made, with its many bancarelle (stalls) and vendors selling everything from piles of old skeleton keys to old record albums to vintage linens, demijohns, cameras, dishware, furniture and much, much more.

Peeking through the window of an antiques store on Via del Gallo

The market flows through several interconnected piazzas and down the surrounding side streets. Even the antique stores on Via del Gallo participate.

The crowd was smaller than usual this June but still full of enthusiasm. Almost all had their masks in place and seemed happy to cooperate with the vendors who provided hand sanitizer to use before touching their wares.

It seemed everyone was happy just to spend a Saturday or Sunday morning browsing the market underneath clear blue skies. Such a relief after the long period of lockdown.

Long before I moved here to live, I used to plan my trips to Lucca carefully, making sure that each included at least one day of the market. Back then I used to wander past the stalls and daydream about the things I would buy if only I had an apartment here.

These days I do have an apartment in Lucca, although it’s too small to buy any of the large furniture pieces that the market is known for. Happily, I have purchased a few things - an old, green glass demijohn (once used to store wine, now it holds the cork from each bottle of wine that I open), a pretty set of cordial glasses, an apperitivo fork, a vintage tablecloth.

A demijohn like these looks perfect in my living room.

Each of these items is special to me, but the greatest joy is not from the things themselves but from the memories of walking through the market, listening to the sound of the Italian language, bartering a bit, stopping at a cafe for a coffee while people watching, and enjoying the musicians who often play at the market. What a joy to have the market return. What a joy to live in Lucca! -post by Joanne

Classical music provides a soundtrack for shoppers. This talented musician can often be found playing in the piazzas of Lucca.

Surprises at Florence's Duomo

Even with thousands of tourists crammed into its small historic center, Florence, Italy, is stunningly beautiful. But without the crowds? Without the crowds, its beauty can be appreciated more fully. At least that’s what I discovered when I visited the birthplace of the Renaissance in the first weeks after Italy’s COVID-19 lockdown ended. I saw features of the massive Duomo that I had never noticed before. I was able to walk along the Ponte Vecchio without being jostled by throngs of other people crossing the iconic bridge. I was able to capture images in the historic center that have been impossible to shoot on any of my other stays in Florence.

I could study just the facade of the Duomo for years and still never see all the subtilities.

Of course, my good fortune came at the misfortune of Italy’s economy. I visited Florence before Italy’s borders re-opened. The city’s restaurants, shops and numerous historic sites – in Florence and throughout the rest of Italy - had been closed for more than two months and face an anemic tourist season this year. It is a frightening prospect for business owners. The reality of the number of lives lost during this pandemic and the economic toll that Italy and much of the rest of the world will feel for many months to come cast a shadow over my recent visit to Florence. At the same time, I know visiting the city, eating lunch at my favorite restaurant there and shopping a bit before heading back to Lucca is one way I can help the economy.

Clouds are reflected in one of the windows on the left side of the Duomo.

Every time I go to Florence, I spend time walking around the Duomo – always in awe. The colors of the marble on the facade, the mosaics, the stonework, it all amazes me. I have always thought that I could study the Duomo for years and not see everything there is to see – and my recent trip proved me right. And I didn’t even go inside this time.

A cutout never noticed before

Slits in the facade

Writing in the marble

Outside, under a beautiful blue sky, on one side of the facade, I saw a small (compared to the rest of the structure) arch-shaped opening in the green marble. Visible through the opening were metal bars and a light. Then I noticed several much smaller slits in various stones. How long have they been there? I don’t know. But I’ve rarely been able to walk so close to the building on all sides before to even see these intricacies.

Hebrew writing on a Duomo door

On the other side of the Duomo, the lack of crowds afforded me the opportunity to walk right up to the wood doors on that flank of the structure. One, I learned later, is the Canon’s Door, and includes Hebrew writing. The carvings on this door and its partner door are intricate and beautiful. The Hebrew writing apparently was included to welcome people from what at one time was a large Jewish Ghetto in Florence.

Carvings in the marble

Carvings within the carvings

There is so much to see on and in the Duomo that I plan to return soon to Florence for further study. And while visitors from outside of Italy might not get to the city before tourists begin to return en masse, there is one way to see the outside of the structure with few people around. I did it on my first trip to Florence many years ago: Get up before the sun rises and go to the historic center. You won’t be able to enter any of the buildings, but you will be able to see them without crowds of people standing between you and the façades. I think the fact that I did that so long ago is one reason I am drawn to return to the Duomo again and again to be amazed by its magnificence.  -post by Judy