We soared to the top of the mountain today – literally! There is a “funivia” (cable car) that runs from our little village of Argegno to a town called Pigra, which is high up on top of the mountain. The guidebook says Pigra has a population of just under 300 – which swells in the summer with vacationers.

There actually are only two cars – one that runs up the mountain and one that runs down, every half hour. It is early in the season, so Frank and I had a car all to ourselves, both ways. What a view!

We set out to explore the town. First we took a hiking trail that stretches through the woods to a belvedere with an expansive view up and down the lake and a sign mapping the towns. We also followed cobblestone streets that wind around houses, a soccer field, and the small town church. We finished up at La Lanterne restaurant (the only one open) and had a wonderful lunch on the veranda. We felt like we were a world away. We love Lake Como.

For our last day on the Lake:  We hope to rent a boat of our own! Stay tuned . . . .

We have had a beautiful couple of days here. We never get tired of just sitting on our balcony looking at the water, which seems to change all the time. One day the skies are so clear that we can see the Swiss Alps in the distance, and then it is to misty (although sunny), giving everything a “cocoon” feeling.  The pictures above are the same scene at different times of day.

The Real Bellagio

Yesterday, we took the ferry across the lake to Bellagio. The ferries are definitely the easiest way to get around, and you get to see lots of cute towns and fancy villas along the way.

We had lunch in Bellagio at a place on the water – featuring fresh fish from the lake. We also wandered around the swanky shops with beautiful silk scarves and even saw the famous Serbelloni Hotel, one of the old grand hotels of the lake.

Our Home Village

But – we were happy to get back to our sleepy little village. Argegno has a few restaurants and shops but on a much smaller scale. There are no lines, there is always a table by the water, and by the second day, the lady who sells the bread knows what kind you want. We love that.

The downside – at least for our apartment – we have to walk up a LOT of stairs. We are above the town so wind around and up to get home. But we are rewarded with a wrap-around balcony high up over the lake with an incredible view (you can see how far up we are!). It is our favorite place to be. If we stayed longer, we’d be in excellent shape!

We woke up this morning to a beautiful sunrise over Lake Como! We have an apartment in a little fishing village called Argegno (pronounced “R-GIN-YO”), which is right next to the village where George Clooney has his villa. But I cannot imagine that he has a better view.

The drive here from Lucca was full of traffic, winding mountain roads, LOTS of trucks, and long tunnels. We were a bit frazzled by the time we stopped at the roadside restaurant for lunch so I picked up cheese, crackers, wine, and bread – just in case we did not want to venture out for dinner. Good call. The ride got even hairier as we rounded the lake, with one hairpin curve after the other.

But how worth it! We unloaded and sat on the balcony the rest of the afternoon, perfectly happy with our gas station provisions and million dollar view.

Even though our week started out rocky – when we parked in the wrong spot and had to walk miles (it seemed) with our luggage on that first day – Lucca has won us over in the end. We had a fabulous Easter week, participating in a Good Friday processional, going to Easter services at the Cathedral, and feasting on a delicious 7-course Easter Lunch in a former palazzo turned restaurant (Ristorante Giglio).

Here are some of our other favorite highlights:

San Giovanni Church

This is the church that is the same piazza as our apartment (see photo at top, taken from our window). It dates to the 12th century, which is impressive enough. Add that Puccini was baptized and was the organist there, and even more impressive. But the best was the church sits on top of an archeological treasure trove that was just discovered in 1969. Archeologists were able to excavate 5 layers of ancient Roman roads, religious graffiti from the prior church’s wall, an old baptistery, and a Roman bath – all from different periods.  The mosaic pictured below is from the 1st century BC! They have scaffolding, so you can walk underneath the church floor among the ruins. Apparently this isn’t one of the highlights (or now as well known) because we had the place all to ourselves. Amazing!

Music of Puccini

Lucca is the town of Puccini, who was born here and went on to compose La Boheme (Frank’s favorite), Madame Butterfly, and Turandot (my favorite). We went to a concert of some of his works in our neighborhood San Giovanni church listed above. To hear his works in the church where he was baptized and was the organist was a thrill.

Torre Guinigi

Lucca is filled with towers that were used for look-outs and defense. Each important family had their own. We climbed the 13th century tower belonging to the Guinigi Family – it is so big that it even has trees on top! We climbed the 227 steps to reach the top and a great view.

Biking the Ramparts

I already wrote a blog about this, but we loved it so much that I am including again. We on top of the 2,000 year old fortress walls around the city that took a century to build (they are so wide that there are roads and parks on top). It is almost 3 miles around. We did two loops, with a picnic break in the middle. Our most romantic day in Lucca.

Next stop: Lake Como!

Happy Easter!

We have had a very meaningful Easter weekend here in Lucca. Italians really get into any holiday – and Easter is a 3-day weekend with Easter Monday being a national holiday. We knew we had found the perfect place to experience this wonderful time of year.

Good Friday

Our Italian was good enough that we figured out from the sign on the church door that there would be a processional through the city on Friday night to mark Good Friday. We weren’t sure what to expect but wanted to see how Italians mark this somber day.

It was so beautiful and emotional. About 500 people gathered outside the church. Volunteers handed out candles and programs. Men and women representing the different churches in the city (I think the equivalent of their “elders”) dressed in robes to lead the way, with someone holding the cross high overhead. As we moved through the city, we sang Italian hymns. You could see a long line of candlelight up and down the narrow passageways.

We stopped at various spots, while the leaders read the story of the Crucifixion – the Italian Stations of the Cross. Then we would move on, singing along the way. People in the restaurants stopped eating and came to the door to watch, some with tears in their eyes.

We ended at the basilica, where we filed in for the final part – where Jesus died and was buried. The choir sang “Worthy is the Lamb” (in Italian), and then we all silently filed out. I get choked up just writing about it.

Easter Sunday

And then Easter Sunday dawned bright. We went to services at the magnificent San Martino Cathedral, which dates from the 11th century. I’ve posted some pictures below (which I took when we toured earlier). The Cathedral is fronted with two dozen different columns – you can see from the picture. Apparently the city had a contest to see which artist could create the columns for the new church. Each entrant submitted a sample column. Then, instead of selecting one winner (and having to pay for the rest of the columns), the church just put them all up.

The service as filled to capacity with much pomp and circumstance. The most stunning part was when the choir sang, and one of the altar boys lit the “holy fire,” which (we think) was to symbolize Christ no longer being in the tomb. They had hoisted an iron frame above the congregation with what looked like sheep hair tied all over it. The altar boy, who had a long pole with a flame on the end. He motioned for everyone to stand back and touched the frame – which went up quickly in flames – which then all fell back on the floor and us. No one seemed concerned as they wiped embers off of their clothes. I admit to having a little trouble concentrating during that part. But the service was beautiful and moving.

What a wonderful experience this has been. Buona Pasqua!

We had the most wonderful and romantic day – just right for a honeymoon! The day was sunny and bright, so we threw out the guidebook and decided to see where the day took us.

Lucca is surrounded by a fortress, with very thick walls around the entire city. From above, it literally looks like a fort with pentagon-shaped outcroppings on all sides, so the early Luccans could keep watch. Nowadays, there is a road that runs along the perimeter on top of the walls, and the outcroppings are parks. It is lovely.

We decided on a picnic on top of the walls. We found the local alimentari (deli) and selected picnic-size portions of prosciutto, hard parmesan, olives, and right-from-the-oven focaccia bread. They even had a half-bottle of wine, which they opened for us and gave us plastic cups. So our picnic was set.

Next, we found the bike rental, stowed our lunch in the wooden baskets on front, and wound through the streets to find the opening to the wall.

There are ramps all along the wall for access, so we pumped up the hill and were on top. A beautiful view. It is 3 miles all the way around, with benches, parks, and even a couple of restaurants along the way.

We did one loop and then found the perfect spot – shady and in a field of wildflowers. We laid out our picnic and just enjoyed the sunshine and scenery on this most perfect day.

We have left Umbria and back in Tuscany – up north in Lucca. We will be here through Easter. Lucca is surrounded by huge fortified walls that are so thick that there are parks and a road on top. These walls intimidated their rivals so much that there were not actually any battles here. So they were a good deterrent.

After a bit of a rough start, we are settling in and having fun discovering this new place.

A Rocky Start

Our apartment in Lucca is within the city walls in the historic area, so we knew parking could be tricky. We studied the map and guidebooks. Our greeter had sent suggestions for a couple of parking lots, so we programmed one into our GPS and felt armed and ready.

Well, nothing could have prepared us for our arrival in Lucca. After coming from sleepy little Norcia, where the hotel staff came out and stood in the road waving good-bye, it seemed huge!

Our GPS took us right to the suggested parking, which was within the walls – whew. We got out and studied the signs – meter parking with coins only, but overnight free until 8 am. Frank and I scrambled to buy a couple of hours that would hold us over to morning. We couldn’t figure out where we were on the guidebook map but decided to carry a few bags while we located the apartment and then come back for the rest. We figured, it’s all within the walls, how far can it be?

Well, we walked. And we walked. And we walked. It turns out we were almost at the other end of Lucca. We did not realize that the circumference of the town walls is at least 3 miles, so we walked a long way. We were hot, tired, and not really speaking by the time we finally made it to our new home on Piazza San Giovanni (a good test for the newlyweds!).

Our greeter was there waiting and said we had gone to the wrong “suggested” parking place – she said the other suggested spot was a 5-minute walk. But for both, the cost is 1.50 Euro per daylight hour, so we would need nearly 15 Euro in coins per day – plus we’d have to keep running over to feed the meter. Frank asked how we would get all that change, and she didn’t know. But at least we were set for the night.

Free Parking

After the greeter left, I pulled out the Rick Steves book. He mentioned a free parking lot that is a 10-minute walk outside the city walls. We debated what to do and decided we were better off moving the car – or else we’d have to be up by 8 am with 15 Euros worth of coins – every single day.

So we walked, walked, walked back to where we had left the car, navigated our way back outside the city walls, and found a huge gravel lot the size of about 8 football fields, holding only a dozen cars and a traveling carnival. We unloaded the rest of our bags and gamely pulled our suitcases across gravel, cobblestones, and dirt until we were back within the city walls. We had regained our humor enough by then to even take pictures (see picture at top). We have not been back to the car and have no idea if it is still there.

The Apartment

I have to say that the apartment is stunning. It is a former palazzo on a square overlooking San Giovanni church – which now serves as an auditorium for Puccini concerts (he was from Lucca). We feel like royalty in the living room, which is light and airy with huge windows. And the dining room seats 8! Frank and I have breakfast on one end and lunch on the other!

The best are the ceilings – frescoed and just gorgeous. It is like living in a magazine!

Epilogue: It is a few days later, and we have definitely warmed up to Lucca. It is like a little Florence with interesting sites, friendly people, and good food. We spent our first day here just resting from our adventure and making a list of all the things we want to do. So stay tuned . . . . Oh, we still have not been back to the car – fingers crossed it is still there and in one piece!

The View of our Piazza:

We had a wonderful weekend in the small town of Norcia, which is located in the mountains of Umbria (between Tuscany and the Adriatic Sea). We stayed in a small hotel there, Palazzo Seneca, which is in a former palazzo. It reminded us of the Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels – quietly elegant, but not stuffy – we felt instantly at home in the many nooks and crannies to read and relax.

The family that runs the hotel has run restaurants and hotels in Norcia for almost 200 years. They were so excited to see us because they said don’t get many Americans this far off the beaten path. We met the matriarch of the family (see our picture below), along with her son. By the end of our trip, we felt like we were part of their family, too.

Domenica de Palme (Palm Sunday)

We had heard a lecture comparing Tuscany to Umbria. The speakers said that the two are culturally very different because Tuscany had been under the rule of the Medicis, while Umbria was a Papal State. Even today, they said that Tuscany is more secular, while Umbria is more traditional.

We definitely could see differences as we attended Palm Sunday services. The services in Tuscan towns were more sparsely attended and contemporary – in Florence, the songs even were accompanied by guitar. In Norcia, the church was packed with all walks of life, even dogs.  They conducted confession all throughout the service – people would just pop up and go kneel down at the confessional booth in front of everyone. Maybe in a small town there are no secrets.

Norica also is the home of St. Benedict, founder of the Benedictine Monks, so they have a fairly large order there. The monks entered in robes swinging the incense and chanting (above the din of the confessing sinners).

At one point, we all rose and went to the altar to each receive an olive branch symbolizing the palm fronds for Palm Sunday. Then they opened the massive wooden front doors, and the monks led a processional down the front steps, while we all walked in complete silence in a big circle around the piazza, while the church bells rang. It was incredibly moving, as we contemplated Jesus’ ride into the city as he knew what he would face.

The downside was that when we went back in, Frank and I were not as savvy as the other congregants in scrambling for a pew and lost our seat. We had to stand in the back as the monks chanted (in Latin) for two more hours. We were a little sore, but the service really was amazing.

Mountains!

This area is the home of the Mount Sibilini National Park, a beautiful region with high mountains and snow-covered valleys. Frank and I did a driving loop and REALLY got off the beaten path. Spectacular.

We stopped in a little town called Castellucio, which the guidebook said started as a colony of sheepherders’ huts. Now they are famous all over Europe for their lentils, which grow in the valley. The area is also popular with hikers, and there are refugios (rustic restaurants) all along the trail. We hiked up to one and were the only people not in snow pants (a sure sign we had come by car rather than foot). But the food was warm, nourishing, and delicious. We had tartufo frittata (truffle quiche) and of course, lentils!

On our way home, we even dipped over into Le Marche, another region of Italy. We went through some towns that were so small that the people on the street literally all stopped and stared at us – I don’t think they get too many visitors.

Ciao Norcia

We really were sad to leave this beautiful region and wonderfully hospitable inn in Norcia. As we got ready to leave, the matriarch of the family flagged us down. She hugged us, made us promise to come back, and gave us a small burlap bag of lentils. She stood in the road waving as we drove off. What a truly special place.

We are a little late on our blogs, so will be catching up over the next couple of days. We’ve been having too much fun!

Saturday, March 28 – We have traded Tuscany and the hill town of Montepulciano for the wilds and mountains of Umbria. It is beautiful here and very off the beaten path.

Our day started out a little shaky, but we have rallied. When we arrived in Montepulciano, our contact person, Luca, drove us up to our apartment to offload luggage. He was going to be out of town when we left, but he assured us it was perfectly fine to drive up to our apartment ourselves, even though only locals are technically allowed. Montepulciano is very hilly with very narrow cobblestoned streets and big fortress-like walls, so we were a little nervous. We scouted our route ahead of time by foot.

On the actual day, we had our bags ready and walked down to the car. It was then that we noticed that the road had a sign with a circle and straight line across the middle. On some level, we knew this meant, “Do Not Enter,” but we had seen others scurry up the hill. So we figured the sign was meant for the tourists, not us. We boldly shot straight up the cobblestoned hill, through one very narrow town gate and then another very narrow town gate – and ran smack up against a big orange bus coming directly at us. The driver wagged his finger at us, “No, no, no.” I thought, “How are we going to get out of here?”

Long story short, I got out of the car and directed Frank, who had to back down, first through one very narrow town gate and then a second very narrow town gate, and back down the steep cobblestoned hill. See pictures below.

So we parked the car and walked up to get our luggage.

On To Umbria

We did not let our start deter us, and set out for Umbria. We were excited to see this part of the country that is described as “wild and rustic.”

It was a beautiful drive and we soon left hills behind for steeper snow-capped mountains. We stopped off for a break in the town of Spoleto, which, if you are from South Carolina, you know is famous for its arts festival. Its “sister” city, Charleston, has a similar festival. I was excited to see Spoleto since I had been so many times to the Charleston version. We walked all over and even found a hotel named for Charleston.

Norcia

We arrived at a very small village called Norcia. I had seen a picture in a guidebook and decided we had to go. Norcia is known for its truffles and boar – they have shops lining the main street with boar heads on the walls. There is also a very nice Relais & Chateaux hotel there called Palazzo Seneca. They heard we were on our “honeymoon” and even upgraded us to a spectacular room. They have a tremendous restaurant with a young chef they think is on the verge of earning a Michelin star. We can attest to the fact that his creations were superb.

So we settled in for a weekend of relaxation and adventure in Umbria.

I realize this is a funny title, especially if you grew up Southern Baptist like me! But it describes our last day in Central Tuscany perfectly.

Abbazia Sant’ Antimo

We had heard of a beautiful church out in the fields about an hour from Montepulciano. We set out and took many, many winding steep and narrow roads as the rain and fog moved in. We even stopped a few times, sure that the GPS had the directions wrong as the lanes got narrower and narrower. We were a little frantic as the clouds parted and we finally looked down into the valley on Abbazia Sant’ Antimo.

The church is said to have been established by Charmlemagne in 781 and continues to be a monastery to this day. It was still raining, and we were hurrying to see the church before it closed.

It is hard to even describe what happened next. We stepped inside this ancient church – out in a field and very simple – no spectacular art or even electricity – just gray light streaming in from cut-out windows high overhead. There were monks dressed in white who were just starting their Sixth Hour (1 pm) Gregorian chants. It was so moving that I instantly had tears in my eyes, and we just sat and prayed while they chanted.

Frank and I couldn’t even talk for awhile afterwards because the experience was so meaningful. They finished the service and closed the church, and we just stood outside in the drizzle reflecting on what we had seen. There are churches that are far more magnificent, but sometimes God works best in a simple setting where you can just concentrate on Him.

& Then Wine

We were only a few miles from Montalcino, so decided to stop there for lunch. Montalcino is famous for its wine (even more famous than Montepulciano). They make brunello wine and have very strict standards. Usually this wine is one of the most expensive on any menu.

The vineyards on the way to town were lush and manicured. It was impressive just to drive around. But we headed to town. It was cold and pouring down rain by then, but thankfully we had read the Rick Steves guide so knew that we could pull up right through the narrow arched town gate and park smack dab next to the fortezza (fortress). And that INSIDE the fortezza was an enoteca (wine bar). It was a cozy spot for a plate of pasta and a tasting of these famous wines.

For 9 Euro, we had a small sample of three different wines (don’t worry – the whole thing was less than a full glass of wine). We learned about the grape (only one kind is used) and the strict rules for brunello – and which years were good and not. It was a lot of fun – we liked them all. The enoteca included a shop, so I browsed and found the wines we sampled. Two were 49 Euro per bottle and one was 89 Euro! A pretty good deal for a 9 Euro tasting.

A Taste of Venice

The sun came out, so we explored the town and landed at the historic Caffe Fiaschetteria, which dates from 1888. The story goes that the creator of Montalcino’s brunello wine loved the Florian Cafe in Venice (where Frank and I had our first toast on our wedding day). So he opened a cafe just like the Florian in his hometown. We had coffee and tea and reminisced – we have now been married for 3 weeks!

We have loved this region. I knew Tuscany would be pretty, but I am in awe of just how scenic it is. We are reluctant to leave but are moving on to Umbria next – just over the mountain and down the road. Stay tuned . . . .