How to best describe January (Gennaio in Italian) in Lucca?   Certainly it is tranquilla (calm), especially after all of the December holiday activity.  January is a month without crowds.  Walking through the quiet town at the beginning of the new year is a treat.  It is as if January reclaims Lucca for the locals.

 This January arrived with some really cold temperatures and dark, moody skies.  Lliving in a 400+ year old brick building, and just above an unheated cantina (cellar), I really feel the cold.  Even indoors, a scarf, a fleece vest, and warm socks are standard wear.  As for bedtime, an old-fashioned hot water bottle works wonders. I admit that I miss the programmable thermostat in the US that makes my New Mexico condo toasty warm before I get out of bed in the mornings.

Going outside requires winter coats, thick scarfs, warm hats, and gloves even on the days when the skies are a beautiful clear blue.  Don’t be fooled into thinking that blue skies = warm weather.  Even when the skies are clear, it is cold outside. Especially on Lucca’s Medieval streets which get very little sun on winter days. Best to bundle up when going outside. 

 When the wind blows or the rains come, as they have many days this month, it is hard to stay warm no matter how many layers you put on.  These are the January days that are perfect for staying indoors, reading, planning spring travel, and writing. We’ve had quite a few of these days this month.

Cold January weather requires hot drinks – a cappuccino (ask for it molto caldo), a thick hot chocolate (maybe with a touch of whipped cream), or, on an especially cold evening, a ponce mandarino which packs a lot of heat and just enough alcohol to clear the sinuses and warm the soul.

 Walking though town this past week, the streets were nearly empty. The outdoor café tables are mostly abandoned, waiting patiently for a sunny day and warmer temperatures.   Only a few brave souls sat outside, often clustered around a gas heater.  The weekend was a bit livelier, especially because the Antiques Market was in town. Even the damp, dark skies couldn’t keep people away from the monthly market.

 Lucca’s historic walls are also quiet this time of year. Gone are the summertime crowds, the 4 person pedal-bikes, and the shorts-clad joggers. A few walkers are out, some mothers pushing prams with babies in warm buntings, and an occasional bicyclist. But the bare trees and nearly empty paths paint a picture of cold winter weather.

Along Corso Garibaldi, a street currently lined with leafless Magnolia trees, a close look reveals the beginning of the buds that will burst into bloom in about 6 weeks.   A welcome hint of spring.

The rest of January will be filled with quiet activities – I’ve joined a new book club as well as an Italian conversation group.  I have a stack of books waiting to be read.  I will embrace walks along the walls on crisp days and errands that take me though the quiet streets. 

Soon it will be February and Lucca will begin to buzz as we await the beginning of Carnevale.