Welcome to 2024

Happy New Year !

 When a new year rolls around I always find myself reflecting on Januarys past and toasting to Januarys yet to come. That is especially true this year as I begin my 6th year of having a home in Italy and 8th year of writing Two Parts Italy. Time really does fly!

On January 1st of 2017 Two Parts Italy posted for the first time. I was fairly newly retired and headed to Italy to celebrate the new year with my friend (and then co-author) Judy. We wrote that first post from a lovely vacation apartment in Lucca. Writing remains my best ever (non-paying) job, a true passion project, and gives me a great excuse to keep traveling. Today, I spend most of the year in Lucca - something I didn’t even dare dream of in 2017.

January of 2018 was the start of my first full year of living in Italy.  There was so much involved in that move.  First, selling my home in New Mexico and finding an apartment in Lucca. Next, a visa and navigating the process of obtaining a permesso di soggiorno.  Settling into an apartment was part of the fun, but boy those 38 steep steps proved to be brutal!   Still, there was something magical at having arrived during the holiday season. Lucca was beautiful. Cold, but beautiful.

January 2020 in Rome. There was no a hint of what the year would bring.

January 2020 brought a move to a new, smaller apartment in Lucca, this time on the ground floor. It is where I still live today.  That January was also a time of blissful ignorance as there was no hint that a worldwide pandemic would soon up end our lives. A few days in Rome would be my last travel for quite a while. Covid hit Italy especially hard that year. It was not easy to live with the restrictions or with the worry.  And yet, I found more things to love about Italy during that time.  Above all, the community spirit, along with the Italian belief that it would all be ok, was inspiring. 

Restrictions and mask wearing were still routine in Italy in January of 2021.  But the arrival of vaccines brought both hope and, by spring, a loosening of restrictions.  By summer it was even possible to travel again, but those were complicated travel times.  Remember pre-flight covid testing, vaccine cards, green passes, and a general feeling of angst around crowded airports and flights ? Not to mention the months when Americans could not enter Italy. My permesso meant I could continue to stay in Lucca.

Camoglie, Liguria. June 2022

 In January of 2022 I wrote that my goal for the new year was to begin to travel again.  Not a resolution, but a plan. That year brought trips to the US and several small excursions within Italy. 

Better yet, in spring and summer, I had visits from several fully vaccinated friends. My daughter and 2 oldest grandchildren (also fully vaccinated) came to Italy for two weeks of fun along the Ligurian coast that summer.   We still wore masks in crowds and on trains, but life was returning to normal (or at least to the new normal). Fall brought more friends and an October week at Agriturismo Cretaiole in the Val d’Orcia, one of my very favorite places in Tuscany.

Galleries Lafayette, Paris. December 2022

A trip to Paris in December of 2022 was a wonderful way to wrap up the year.  Travel goals met!

Docked in Cologne on a Viking River Cruise. March, 2023

January of 2023 brought new travel goals.  Big ones! In the spring, I joined friends on a river cruise along the Rhine.  It felt pretty daring, and a bit risky post-covid, to go on a cruise. But I love the Viking river cruises and it had been a very long time since my last one. Balancing risk with benefit became, and remains, a component of both travel and every day life. Full disclosure – it was a wonderful cruise and all reasonable health precautions were taken on board.  And yet, I came home with my first ever bout of Covid.  Luckily up-to-date vaccines meant a relatively mild case and thankfully none of my traveling companions got sick.

To be honest, travel has not returned to pre-covid ease.  Between delays, cancellations, strikes, and missing luggage, travel is more stressful than ever.  And, contrary to popular belief, not all Italian trains run on time, something that became obvious in August when raced to make train connections returning from some time at Lake Como! And yet, for me, the urge to travel outweighs any of the negatives.

 So, here we are in January of 2024. I am seeing in the new year from New Mexico, where my kids and grandkids live. I will return to Lucca in a few weeks but most curiously, I find myself with no firm travel plans for this year.  How could that be?

I have a lot of ideas running through my brain including vague plans for a Brenta Canal day cruise in spring.  It’s been a long time since I visited Rome and I am itching to return. There are many parts of Italy left for me to explore. The south of France sounds appealing and I daydream about the fabulous market in Uzes. I’ve never been to Ireland and half of my family roots are there. I want to see my friend who lives an hour from London - Covid has kept us apart for far too long. What ever shall I choose?

Having a base in Italy makes travel within Europe and the British Isles affordable, a real advantage. I think I better get serious about travel planning for this year. I hope you are also ready to start planning 2024 travels. Where are you hoping to go? I hope these photos might inspire you!

Blue skies to welcome 2024 in New Mexico

Wishing a happy, healthy, and well traveled 2024 to all.  

Art Nouveau in Florence

 Classic art is everywhere in Florence.   It’s there in intimate chapels and majestic cathedrals, in museums small and large, in civic buildings and Medici palaces. Outside there are fountains, sculptures, fabulous doors, and art tucked above doorways.  It is impossible to be in Florence and not encounter classic art.

 In addition to the classics, it is not unusual to find more contemporary art in the city, both in galleries and as temporary exhibits.   One such exhibit, currently on display in the museum of the Ospedale degli Innocenti, features the works of Alphonse Mucha.

 Mucha worked in Paris in the years just before and after 1900 - the Art Nouveau period.  He worked primarily as an illustrator and graphic designer but also with photography, painting, and jewelry design.  He remains one of the most influential and well-known Art Nouveau artists (though he never described himself with that label).

Mucha created theater posters and programs, magazine and book illustrations, and advertising designs.  His work from that period include the many theater posters he designed for plays starring Sarah Bernhardt.

A Mucha illustration advertising beer

Women are the subjects of Mucha’s illustrations - young, flawless, and dressed in beautiful clothing. No classic goddesses here - these are lively and sensuous ladies.

Mucha surrounds his female subjects with arches, circles, and curves.  Flowers appear in many ways – in the background, as hair decorations, and as intricate border designs.  The colors are beautiful, - soft, warm, complex, floral. 

The exhibit in Florence has several components, including multimedia experiences. At the beginning is a short film, in Italian with English subtitles, plus a timeline. Together, they set the stage for viewing Mucha’s work. 

The poster display begins with his Bernhardt theater posters – large works with fabulous costumes unique to each play.  

Moving through the exhibit you find advertising posters, other forms of advertising (perfume bottles, boxes, menus, fans), and decorative posters.

One fascinating part of the exhibit is an immersive experience. A long hallway, flanked by mirrors, filled with ever-changing projections of Mucha’s floral designs. The flowers shift and change creating explosions of color. At the far end are large projections of his works.  It’s a visually beautiful experience that puts the viewer right in the middle of a Mucha illustration. (I’ll post a short video clip on the Two Parts Italy Facebook page).

 Not all of Mucha’s works were of beautiful and serene women dressed in alluring clothing.   His posters also reflect his commitment to all Slavic peoples, their customs and their struggles.

Mucha considered his most important work to be his Slav Epic, a series of huge paintings telling the history of the Slavic people.  The project was completed over 18 years and then donated to the city of Prague.

Panel from the Slav Epic

Mucha’s political beliefs, commitment to the independence of the Slavic people, and participation in the Czech Freemasons led to his arrest by the Nazis in 1939.  He was in his 70’s at the time of his arrest and, even though he was released after a few weeks, he died of pneumonia shortly after.  The Nazis also removed his Slav Epic works and they remained hidden for many years.  They are now on display in Prague. Reproductions of several panels are included in the exhibit in Florence.

 The Mucha exhibit will be in Florence through April 7, 2024.  The museum is open daily from 9:30 am to 7 pm with some exceptions (be sure to check on-line for changes to this schedule). A not-to be-missed experience for those who are interested in Art Nouveau.

A Walk Through Peccioli

Tuscany is dotted with hill towns, including several that are close enough to visit as a day trip from my home base in Lucca.  Barga and Montecatini Alto are easily reachable by train or bus.  Others, including Montecarlo, Collodi, Volterra, and San Gimignano, are an easy car ride away.  I’ve been lucky to spend time in each over the years I’ve been in Lucca but there are still so many hill towns left for me to explore!

 On a recent outing, arranged by The Tuscan Wanderer, we drove through the Valdera, the Valley of the Era River, as we returned to Lucca after a visit to a winery in the town of Terricciola.  This is not a region that I’ve visited before, and it requires a car, so I was pleased to join this group adventure.

Peccioli, viewed from the modern terrace suspended over the edge of town.

The Era River runs between Volterra and Pontedera in the Province of Pisa.  At Pontedera the Era joins the river Arno as it flows towards the sea.  High above the river valley lies the small hilltop village of Peccioli, easily spotted from a distance by the tall bell tower of its church.  How fortunate that this little hill town was one of our destinations! 

Peccioli’s most recognizable landmark, the campanile of the church of San Verano, can be seen from a distance down in the valley.

 Peccioli, like so many of Tuscany’s hill towns, has a Medieval layout and a long history of territorial wars as Pisa and Florence battled for control of the town.  Built in the 11th century around a now ruined castle, Peccioli has an historic center with a central piazza, an ancient church, and a series of narrow streets and small alleys. 

 Like most hill towns, there are great views. In Peccioli the vistas are down to the valley from one side of town and out onto Tuscan hillsides and farmland from the other side.  But much as Peccioli has in common with other Tuscan hill towns, it also has its own unique character.

What gives Peccioli its special flavor is the series of contemporary art installations found throughout town. 

Artists from around the world have created works of art and architecture specifically designed for display in Peccioli.  The contrast between the ancient and the modern is intriguing and lots of fun.

Throughout town are old doors, ancient brick structures, and houses fronted by pretty flowerpots mixed in with the more contemporary art pieces.

 Along an old brick wall are hundreds of photos of eyes, an installation called the Squardo di Peccioli.  The artist, Vittorio Corsini, photographed the eyes of Peccioli’s residents for his work.

A sky bridge connects the historic center with an elevator down to the newer parts of town below in the valley.  Titled Endless Sunset, the work by Patrick Tuttofuoco spirals around the walkway with a ribbon of color.  It turns what might be an ordinary bridge into a work of art.

 A large terrace designed by architect Mario Cuninella juts out from the edge of town, giving long views to the farmland and hills surrounding the town – a classic Tuscan view.

Our time in Piccioli was brief, a short detour on the drive between Terricciola and Lucca.  There are many more art installations to explore, museums to visit, and an historic center with shops and cafes in which to linger.  I am looking forward to a return visit.

Exploring Argegno's Back Streets

Argegno’s waterfront. The green building is where the ferries dock.

Don’t you find that “firsts” leave lasting impressions?  First day of school, first love, first taste of olive oil fresh from the press, first home, first big purchase with your own money, first Christmas with a new baby, first bottle of really good wine.  All of these firsts are important milestones in life and treasured memories. 

One of my memorable firsts is the first time I traveled to Italy.  I arrived in 1996 to one of the most beautiful places on earth – Lake Como in northern Italy.   I had no idea that when I first went to the small lake-side town of Argegno that I was embarking on a life-long love affair with a town, a lake, a country, and a way of life. 

I don’t know whether it was the stunning views, the sound of water lapping at the shoreline, the feeling of the wind as I traveled by boat across the lake, the friendly people, or dinners with fish fresh from the lake. Somehow they added up to magic.   Since that first trip I have visited Argegno a number of times and found a little something new to enjoy each time I visit. 

In Argegno, most of the action takes place right along the lakefront.  That’s where the main piazza sits, ringed with cafes, bars, and restaurants. It’s also where to find the morning hotspot - the really good Pasticceria and Caffè (officially called Pasticceria Grandi).  Its old wooden display cabinets, pretty bar, and wonderful aromas, along with a view of the lake, make it the perfect place to begin a day in Argegno. Even the neighborhood cat stops by!

Santissima Trinit Church, Argegno

The lakefront is also where the ferries stop to pick up passengers, carrying them to some of the better known towns along the lake. The wonderful hotel Villa Belvedere sits right at the edge of the lake in Argegno.  So does the local church of Santissima Trinità (The Holy Trinity).  Even the Monday market is set up next to the small harbor that fronts the lake.  All of these things are definitely worth exploring.

 But it would be a shame to stick only to the lakefront because Argegno’s back streets are fascinating. The mostly pedestrian lanes lead to mysterious dark passageways and alleys meandering up into the hills above town.

A wander towards the river Telo, which runs from up in the surrounding hills right into the lake, leads to an ancient stone bridge. Often there is just a trickle of water in this part of the Telo, but after a good rain the river swells and water flows quickly under the bridge. Standing on the bridge gives views of the houses further up along the river as well as views down to where the river meets the lake.

Argegno’s small lanes are filled with worn old doors, pretty flower boxes, and homes built where old mills once stood. 

There is so much to appreciate in the streets where few visitors wander.  Those back streets and steep alleys also provide some spectacular views high over the lake and a quiet escape from the lively Piazza Roma on the lakefront. 

Most visitors spend just a few days at Lake Como, exploring the famous towns of Bellagio, Tremezzo, and Varenna. But a longer stay provides a chance to explore the hidden spots in the smaller villages such as Argegno. Argegno was my first Italian experience, an introduction to a very different life. It still enchants and inspires me.

September in Lucca

September is one of my favorite months in Italy.  It starts out as summer – hot and humid – and then slowly transforms itself into autumn. By late September the mornings and evenings are cool enough that sweaters and scarves make their first appearance of the season. The cooler weather is perfect for a passeggiata, the Italian tradition of an evening stroll, yet still pleasant enough for sitting outdoors at a cafe.  The AC (if one is lucky enough to have it) has been turned off and the windows are open, letting in cool breezes and the hint of fall that is in the air.

Late September skies are beautiful and the weather is pleasant.

 In Lucca, September is a unique month. It even has a special name -  Settembre Lucchese.  It is a month of festivals, artisan markets, concerts, and celebrations. 

This year September kicked off with Murabilia, the annual fall garden show.  Murabilia has everything for the fall garden, from plants to yard art to terracotta pots.  For inside the home there are delicate orchids, fall gourds, and pretty linens.  Artisans demonstrate and sell their crafts and food stands offer local products – meats, cheese, breads, garlic, and flavored syrups.  

September also brings the Palio della Santa Croce. The Palio is has its roots in medieval times as members of the three contrade (districts) in the historic center of Lucca engage in a crossbow competition. The event starts with a procession of musicians, flag throwers, costumes, and the very medieval looking archers.  The procession weaves its way through Lucca, stopping to perform in some of the piazzas, eventually making their way to the area behind the Cathedral of San Martino where this year’s competition took place.

September’s most important event, The Luminaria of Santa Croce, takes place every year on the evening of September 13th.   The luminaria is in honor of Lucca’s most important ancient artifact, the wooden crucifix known as the Volto Santo (Holy Face). 

The legend of the Volto Santo is this: it was crafted by Nicodemus who fell asleep before carving the face.  When he awoke, he found that the face had been miraculously completed. The legend continues with a journey across the sea to the coast of Italy and then a trip by oxcart to Lucca more than 1000 years ago.  Both journeys are considered miracles as, according to the legend, the ship and the oxcart where unmanned and divinely guided to Lucca. The crucifix became a stop on the pilgrim’s route to Rome. It remains a venerated religious object to this day, drawing modern day pilgrims to Lucca. 

The crucifix usually rests in a small chapel within the Cathedral of San Martino where the figure of Christ is dressed in a gold vestments during the festival. This year was a bit different as the crucifix is undergoing restoration.  It has been moved from its small chapel to an area inside the cathedral where it is possible to watch the restoration in progress.   

During the luminaria procession religious and civic groups move through the candlelit streets of Lucca.  The Volto Santo is represented by a cloth image held aloft. Each year there is a large cross made of flowers. Participants hold candles and prayers are chanted along the route. It is a beautiful and moving event with both religious and cultural meaning.

Settembre Lucchese came to a close this year with the Festival of San Michele (St. Michael the Archangel).  A special mass was held in the Basilica of San Michele, one of Lucca’s historic churches.  A concert, on the evening of September 23rd, filled the church with music by the Polifonica Lucchese and the Boccherini Orchestra. The fullness of the music, along with beautiful voices in the setting of a historic church, combined to create a very special evening.

 September is an ideal time to visit Lucca. It is not too early to begin planning for a September 2024 visit !

By the third week of September the temperatures are cool enough for a late morning walk along Lucca’s shady walls.