Late Winter in Lucca
A gray and rainy day in Lucca, late February 2023
Hard rain outside my window kept me inside with a good book!
As February turns into March, winter is making a last stand here in Tuscany. Some areas, especially up in the hills, have seen snow this week.
Here in Lucca there has been no snow, just gray, cloudy skies and rain ranging from a drizzle to a hard downpour. The temperatures have been made even more chilly by the wind. It is definitely still winter coat, hat, and scarf weather. Not exactly the early spring weather I had hoped to find on my return to Lucca after several weeks away.
But, no complaints. I am happy to be back in Lucca no matter the weather. In fact, I rather like Lucca in the rain.
The gloomy days have been perfect for staying inside, reading, sipping tea, and doing some baking. Well, at least it was perfect until the night I turned my dishwasher on, forgetting that I also had my space heater going. Poof – out went the power. Picture a night without lights or heat, too late to poke around the cantina (basement) trying to find the big electric panel with the main breaker for my apartment. Fortunately, I had a good flashlight and lots of candles. Since the gas stove was still working, I was able to boil water to fill a hot water bottle, a fine way to keep warm through a cold night. All was sorted out the next morning when the sun came up and a neighbor showed me where to find the main electric panel down in the cantina. Lessons learned!
Rainy, chilly, and nearly deserted - a small street in Lucca during late February.
Some of the things I enjoy about Lucca during the late winter:
The city is very quiet. Few tourists visit, the streets are nearly empty (especially in bad weather). Lucca seems to slow down. It feels peaceful and restorative.
The bare trees surrounding Piazza Napoleone have a dramatic beauty, so different than in summer when they burst into green leafiness.
In late February and early March they are less exuberant, but just as beautiful.
Piazza Napoleone on a rainy afternoon. No carousel rides today!
The earliest blossoms along the wall, late February.
Early signs of spring evolve daily as tender shoots of bulbs spring up, tulips and daffodils appear in the weekly flower market, mimosas erupt in yellow color, and magnolias go from bud to bloom.
The days are getting longer, reminding me that dusk hour walks on Lucca’s wall are one of my favorite things to do.
Dusk along Lucca’s walls
The rain makes puddles in the streets.
The puddles reflect the ancient buildings and the cloudy skies, temporary art thanks to Mother Nature. And kids, like children everywhere, delight in splashing through the puddles.
Magnolia blossoms sparkle with drops of rain.
Magnolias, just starting to flower, look lovely glistening with rain drops
A rainy afternoon in Lucca is the perfect excuse to pop into an elegant café for a pot of tea and a sweet treat. Caffè Santa Zita is just the place! A bit of luxury to brighten a gray day.
February skies can be quite dramatic!
The clouds make for ever changing skies, one minute blue with gentle white clouds and then suddenly dark, fast moving and threatening.
The sound of rain lulling me to sleep, either as the best reason for an afternoon nap or a gentle entry into sleep late at night.
All of these things make late winter a wonderful time to be in Tuscany. And yet, a few weeks from now I will feel just as inspired by the onset of spring. Living through the cycle of seasons is one of the reasons I wanted to live in Italy. I came thinking that once (or maybe twice) around the sun would be a wonderful esperience. 4+ years later I am still pinching myself and enjoying the changing season as winter slowly creeps into spring.