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  

Una Cucina Piccola

There is a saying in Italian,  “Una cucina piccola fa una casa grande,” which roughly translates to “a small kitchen makes for a big home.” I certainly hope that is true because the kitchen in my new apartment is not just small but laughably tiny (really, at least one friend broke out in peels of laughter when I showed her the kitchen). Because I love to cook, this kitchen was a definite compromise and almost a deal breaker. 

Not only is it tiny, but while equipped with a four-burner stove and dishwasher, it actually has no oven! I missed this fact when I first looked at, and fell in love with, the rest of the apartment. It was only after leaving and trying to imagine where I would put all my pots, pans, plates, etc. in that tiny kitchen that I began to wonder why I couldn’t remember where the oven was. Then it dawned on me - OMG, there is no oven!

Though small, the apartment has charming spaces - like this cozy reading nook. For me, it was love at first sight.

My first instinct was that I couldn’t possibly live without an oven. But the apartment had most everything else I was looking for - top of the list being that it was on the ground floor. It also had big windows with a pretty view, was beautifully furnished, and loaded with Italian charm. Though small (roughly 600 square feet), it felt bigger due to its high-beamed ceilings and two lofts. It was also priced right and in my preferred area of the city. It was missing only two things: outdoor space (I do miss the terrace I had in my former apartment) and that oven. In the spirit of adventure, and because I really did need to give up the 38 steep steps to my old apartment, I decided to take the smaller, oven-less apartment and somehow make it work.

No microwave? No problem - this little stainless-steel pitcher allows me to heat milk for coffee right on the gas burner.

The first purchase I made for my new space was a DeLonghi countertop electric oven and some small pans to fit into it. Because my counterspace is limited, I sacrificed the microwave that originally sat on the counter to make room for the electric oven. I also had an IKEA rail installed above the stove to hang pots, utensils, and a shelf for some spices. In a tiny kitchen, little space savers like this make a big difference.

This IKEA rail system adds functional storage.

As I began writing this post, I had some tarragon chicken thighs in the oven, my first attempt at roasting. So far, so good. It smelled delicious and turned out perfectly - crisp skin on the outside, tender and moist on the inside. The next day I made a batch of roasted cauliflower in anchovy oil, another favorite of mine. With the chicken and the cauliflower I encountered one limitation of my little oven (besides its size) - the maximum temperature is 200 degrees Centigrade (400 Fahrenheit). Because both these recipes called for a hotter oven, I made a few adjustments in cooking time and used the convection setting on the oven. With these minor adjustments, both dishes turned out just as tasty as in a regular oven.

My little oven has also worked well for toast, reheating foods, and my first attempt at baking - a batch of lemon-glazed muffins, which turned out perfectly.  

Making just a third of a lemon bread recipe equals six perfect muffins,

Though small, the kitchen is quite comfortable to work in thanks to a cutting board that fits over the sink drainboard to expand the counter prep space, deep drawers that house cookware, and some high-level organization on my part. Eliminating all the kitchen items that aren’t essentials and donating my full-size baking dishes to a friend helped too. Luckily I have extra space in a dining room china cabinet and some pretty blue IKEA storage cubes, which moved with me from my old apartment, for extra storage.

Small spaces demand creative storage solutions - baskets and exposed shelving really expand storage possibilities.

I’ve actually looking forward to seeing just what kinds of cooking I can do in my tiny space. So far, soups, stews, pastas, and frittatas have been easy. And though my cooking and entertaining spaces are smalI, I had a group of friends over for a Sunday lunch just before lockdown was declared. I found I could sit five to six people comfortably around my dining room table and that cooking for that size group was no problem. For entertaining, stovetop cooking and dishes I can make ahead (like the crepes I served for dessert) are my best bets. But I definitely will not be cooking the turkey for Thanksgiving this year.  -post by Joanne

Trekking in Tuscany

The hills of Tuscany practically beg to be explored. Winding roads take you into them but can only carry you so far. Hiking, however, lets you experience the hills and valleys and lush green vegetation up close. But don’t be fooled by the seemingly benign undulation of Tuscany’s hills – they often are steeper than they appear!

Heading up through tall grass

On a recent Saturday morning, I joined a group of hikers for a trek in the hills above Camiaore, a city northwest of Lucca. As on most hikes I’ve taken around Italy, the great outdoors was not the only highlight of the excursion. Tuscan hills are home to villages and villas, farms and frantoios (olive oil manufacturers), abandoned stone buildings and altars. You can be in thick, overgrown vegetation one minute and then walk out of it to see a massive stone cross erected who knows how long ago.

Passing by a small farm

Of course, being able to be in nature with views that on clear days let you glimpse the sea to the west is an experience unto itself. On my recent hike, dark clouds threatened rain but only a few drops fell. The sun made an occasional appearance. But even under thick cloud cover, the views were stunning (once we climbed out of the bushes). Wildflowers added small strokes of color – violet, yellow, white, red – to the green canvas. We saw evidence that wild boars had been in the area. We passed by a few wild cherry trees and sampled just a bit of the tart but tasty fruit.

Our hike wasn’t long – only about six miles in total – but it was a great way to begin the weekend. And, as always, whetted my appetite for future explorations. -post by Judy

Cross in the hills

Altar

Closeup of altar

A fountain

That barely visible opening to the left is the trail.