The Colors of May

The month of May is the perfect time to be in Tuscany. April’s rains are mostly gone. The skies vary from clear, deep blue to blue studded with white clouds. Temperatures are mild and a bit breezy. Mornings and evenings are cool but the afternoons are warm but not yet hot. We are still having some rain, but the showers are brief and not nearly as chilling as the April storms.

Other than a few lamentations about allergy season, everyone is out and about in Lucca enjoying the beautiful, mild days. It’s a joy to sit outside in a cafe or restaurant or to sit and watch happy children ride the carousel. 

Best of all, the last few weeks have seen an explosion of color in Lucca. The roses are especially gorgeous, with large rows of them blooming in parks and public spaces. 

Flowers fill containers in piazzas, spill from window boxes, bloom in private gardens, and decorate balconies. Stands of star jasmine arch along doorways and walls or climb above terraces, filling the streets with the wonderful scent of jasmine.

 The wildflowers are my favorite. I love the ones that have found homes in the crevices of old stones. The delicate flowers blooming all along the walls of the fosso (the canal that runs along one of Lucca’s streets) are delightful. 

Wildflowers along the fosso

May days are perfect for long walks and discovering Lucca’s hidden corners, especially the ones filled with flowers.

One Day In Panicale

With so many fascinating places to visit in Italy, what exactly drew me to Panicale, a hilltop village in the Umbrian Province of Perugia?

As so often happens when choosing a destination in Italy, it was the confluence of several things.  A seed was planted years ago when a fellow student at Lucca Italian School named it as her favorite place to spend time in Umbria, one of the Borghi Piu Belli di Italia (Most Beautiful Villages in Italy) situated high above the shores of Lake Trasimeno.  

Panicale’s Medieval center, one of Italy’s most beautiful villages

Then, last year, I began to watch the British TV series Signora Volpe, set in Panicale.  The scenes shot in the village drew me in and made me want to see it in person. Lastly, there was the Ruzzolone.  This historic competition, with roots going back to the Etruscan period, takes place on Pasquetta, the day after Easter.  I had to see it!

And so a plan took shape to spend Easter week in Umbria, with a day trip to Panicale on Pasquetta (Easter Monday) to see the Ruzzolone and explore the town.  It wasn’t hard to find a friend who wanted to join me.

Panicale is a hill town, with steep streets meandering up and down through the village.

Panicale is an ancient hamlet with beginnings dating back to the Etruscan period, centuries BC.  The more “modern” city is Medieval, with walls from the 13th century and a well-preserved Medieval streetscape.

Just inside the Porta Fiorentina lies Piazza Umberto I with its 15th century Travertine well.  The well figures prominently in the TV series Signora Volpe, as the place where a trio of older women sit to chat.  On the day I visited, it was a place where children played, people lingered, and visitors posed for photos.

Piazza Fiorentina with its 15th century pozzo (well)

The square is ringed with cafes and restaurants, and our afternoon began with a wonderful lunch at Il Gallo Nel Pozzo (The Chicken in the Well) as we soaked up the atmosphere of Panicale. After a post-lunch macchiato we were ready for the afternoon’s main event.

And what a fun afternoon it was! The Ruzzolone began just outside Porta Fiorentina where a crowd gathered to watch the giocchiatori (players) get ready for the annual Pasquetta rolling of the cheese.

The wheel of cheese is wrapped with a leather strap attached to a wooden handle which is used to launch the cheese down the course.

The competition, played by groups of village men, involves a wheel of Forma del Piave (a hard cow’s milk cheese) wrapped in a leather strap.  A wooden handle is used to launch the cheese down the hill, often at significant speed.  To win, the player must get the wheel of cheese to the bottom of the course with the fewest pushes. This may sound easy, but the wheels tend to roll off course, bounce off the stone walls (bystanders are warned to watch their shins lest a wayward wheel of cheese cause an injury), or roll off course and down the ravine.  

The Ruzzolone begins along this street just outside one of the town’s gates.

The first launch took place to much cheering (on this day it was “Paolo, Paolo” for whom the crowd cheered) and then the participants raced down the hill to see where their cheese stopped and to give it another push.  The crowd follows, or at least some of them do.  Others stay at the top of the course, socializing and sipping free wine.

The winner earns bragging rights and gets to keep the cheese.  Should it get smashed in the process, everyone gets a piece. After the official competition ended, visitors were invited to try their hand at launching the cheese down the hill.  After that, a huge chocolate egg was smashed, something all the kids gathered for.  Everyone gets a taste of chocolate.  And then they celebrate.

Pasquetta is a national holiday in Italy, a day known for picnics and fun with friends after the solemn period of Lent and the celebration of Easter.  For me, Pasquetta has never been more fun than when watching the Ruzzolone in Panicale.

Verde Mura Is Where Spring Gardens Begin

Some recurring events serve to mark time, shepherding in a new year or a new season.  One such event in Lucca is the annual spring garden show, Verde Mura. 

Each April, Verde Mura takes place atop the walls that surround Lucca.  Just about anything one wants for a garden – whether garden means a small herb patch, several long rows of vegetables, a bed full of flowers, or a small stand of fruit trees – is available.  

With garden art and assorted crafts on display, there is little need to look elsewhere for spring garden inspiration.

This year - surprise - there were chickens and one very loud rooster !

Readers of this blog may recognize scenes from Verde Mura because I’ve written about it in past years.   But the event always seems to bring something new, not to mention it really does mark the beginning of spring for me, and so each year I go, camera in hand, learning about everything from heirloom beans to new varieties of tulips and daffodils.  

Sadly, I don’t have space for a garden in my tiny Lucca apartment. I can sometimes manage a few potted herbs, but that’s about all.  Despite that, I always come home with at least a gorgeous bunch of flowers, some treats from the food vendors (this year delicious black pepper and almond taralli), and the joy of having spent a few hours on a spring morning up on Lucca’s walls immersed in the colors and scents of the Verde Mura. 

Rue des Teinturiers in Avignon

Last week’s post began a walk through the charming city of Avignon in France’s Provence region.  This week, let’s continue walking, this time along my favorite street in Avignon, the Rue des Teinturiers. The walk begins not far from the Les Halles market, after crossing Rue des Lices, and ambles towards the old city walls.

 Teinturier is French for dyer, the Rue des Teinturiers is the Street of the Dyers. This cobblestone street, which runs along a small branch of the river Sorgue, is a mix of 21st century artistic, hippy vibe and the lingering spirt of the historic cloth guilds that were a big part of Avignon’s economic life in the 15th through 18th centuries. The canal provided the water source needed for dyeing silk in the 15th century and dyeing brightly colored cotton fabrics in later centuries.

One of the few remaining water wheels along the canal

The streets here are cobblestone, the large Sycamore trees create shade, and the old buildings and stone walls add to the sense of this being a different city and a different time from the rest of Avignon.  The last vestiges of the dyers are evident in the 4 water wheels that remain along the canal (once upon a time there were 23).  The mechanisms of the waterwheels are fascinating and almost seem like art.

The ruins of the Convent of the Cordeliers, with just the bell tower standing.

A walk here begins at Rue des Lices, crossing over to the start of Rue des Teinturiers. Here the ruins of a bell tower is all that remains of the Convent of the Cordeliers. 

Further down the street is the Chapelle des Pénitents Gris (Chapel of the Grey Prenitents).  The oldest part of the chapel dates from 1631 with additions ongoing through the 18th century. 

The Order of the Grey Penitents is even older than the chapel, established in the early 1200’s by King Louis VIII. 

Famous for a miracle that occurred during the floods of 1433, today the chapel is still used to celebrate that miracle and for religious services.  Enjoy the chapel from the street; the interior is only open during worship times. 

The Chapel of the Grey Penitents

 All along the Rue des Teinturiers are cafes, restaurants, galleries, and shops.  Sitting stream side with a cup of coffee and gazing at the old waterwheels provides a peaceful break from the busier parts of Avignon. The exception is in July when the theater festival brings lots of people to this tucked away part of the city.

Along the street, the old buildings have interesting windows and doors. The small homes sit across the stream, reached by little bridges.

There are also a series of carved stone pieces along the street.  These are not ancient symbols but more recent carvings by local sculptors. Meant as parking stops, they make for fun viewing and in a pinch can serve as a low bench. 

The walk ends at a busy street near the old city walls.  Best to turn around and walk again down the Rue des Teinturiers, headed back toward the center of Avignon.

You’ll be sure to spot some things you missed earlier!

Can you spot this creature above one of the shops along Rue des Teinturiers?

A Walk Through Avignon

Much as I love living in Italy, I also enjoy traveling to other places. France is a particular favorite, and Avignon, in the Provence Region of France, is a wonderful city to visit.  I was first introduced to the Avignon many years ago when I spent a few days there before embarking on a river cruise on the Rhône and Saône Rivers, headed north through central France.  I’ve returned a couple of times since and always find it fascinating for its history, culture, architecture, beautiful squares and local cuisine.  And while there are many museums, churches, and historic sites to visit in Avignon, a good place to begin when visiting the city is simply by taking a walk.

Here are some of the highlights for first time visitors on a walk through Avignon:

The Pont Saint-Bénézet is a medieval bridge famous as the subject of the French song Sur le pont d’Avignon.  Can you hum it?  “Sur le pont d’Avignon, l’on y danse, l’on y danse”.  Only four of its arches stand today (out of the original 22), ending in the middle of the river Rhône.  It is one of the most recognizable symbols of Avignon and a UNESCO World Heritage site.  View it for free from the riverbank or pay a fee to walk (or better yet dance) on it.  After viewing the bridge, it is a short walk through the massive city walls and into the historic center.

Pont Saint-Bénézet, Avignon (photo from Pixabay)

The Palace of the Popes is a huge Gothic building in the historic center of Avignon.  Built in the mid 1300’s, it served as the residence for 9 Popes during the years when the papacy moved from Rome to Avignon.  Today it is a museum and a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

I mostly admire the palace from the outside, standing in front of it in the large Place (Square) du Palais.  The square has with wonderful views of the palace and the cathedral with the gold statue of Mary on top.  First time visitors might take a break from their walk around Avignon, buy a ticket and go Inside to find frescoes, chapels, and interesting architecture but no furnishings.  Guided tours (or self-guided with an app) help explain the rooms and the history. 

The Place de l’Horloge (Clock Tower) is Avignon’s central, and very lively, town square.  The large square is shaded by trees and ringed with cafes, restaurants, and wonderful architecture. Look for both the City Hall and the Opera House here as well as just a glimpse of the clock tower which gives the square its name. 

Place de l’Horloge

This is also where the beautiful, old, carousel is found.  If traveling with kids, this two level carousel will delight  them.  Even without children, it is fun to watch the carousel go round and round.

Church of Saint Pierre

 A small, charming square sits in front of the Church of St. Pierre, one of the oldest and smallest churches in Avignon.  The façade is remarkable for its ornate carvings, twin spires, and stunning wooden doors.  There is an impressive bell tower too.  A small art gallery and the Restaurant L’Epicerie is also found in this square. It’s a great place for lunch or dinner. In good weather the outdoor seating provides a view of the church’s facade.

From Place St. Pierre it is a short walk (past some good shopping) to Les Halles, Avignon’s fabulous food hall.  Making a detour through Les Halles is a gourmet dream.  Also a good spot for lunch with its many little eateries.

Place Pie, with Les Halles on the left

A walk though Avignon includes some of the city’s many beautiful doors and windows.

Some of the windows are old and shuttered, some have pretty window boxes. Others are the famous painted windows.  These trompe l’oeil windows are a connection to the theater festival held each summer.  So don’t forget to look up at these “false windows” to see the some fun scenes.

The last stop on an introductory walk through Avignon is my favorite spot in town – the Rue des Teinturiers (Street of the Dyers). 

Though a part of Avignon, the Rue des Teinturiers feels like a different place and a different century.  I will write more about this fascinating street in an upcoming post.

This pretty door opens to the B&B Le Limas, a small but charming place to stay in Avignon