Old and preserved

Renee and I caught the train between Rome and Florence.  It was clean and very comfortable.  The old cliche about Italian trains being late didn't seem true and the trip went off without any hitch or delay.  It was a clean and modern train and the seats were comfortable.  I was looking forward to this trip as well, just for the opportunity to see more of Italy and to be able to gaze out at the countryside.  

In Florence, we immediately set off to the car rental agency.  I had decided that driving to our next location was the best approach.  I had heard many stories of the dangers of driving on Italian roads, so I had made the decision with some slight trepidation.  I had my reasons though, I wanted a bit more control and the thought of being able to stop whenever and wherever I wanted was particularly appealing.

As I went through the administrative steps of getting the car, I started to chat with the girl who was helping us.  I asked her on her thoughts about where we could stop on the way to our destination.  Her immediate response was "Lucca".  She lived in Lucca.  It was close, almost midway to where we were going, and it was beautiful.  I was sold.  She even gave me a recommendation on where I could park my car cheaply outside of the old town.

The drive was pleasant as we sped through the Tuscan countryside.  It was all highway driving, so nothing interesting or dangerous for me.  I was luckily familiar with driving on this side of the road after my North American adventures, and the dangers of Italian drivers seemed to have been vastly oversold.  After less than an hour I could see the signs to "Lucca".  I took the exits and followed the directors to our parking.  On the outskirts of the town, it felt a bit dead and decaying.  Besides the car park attendant, the entire area seemed to be completely empty, with even the shops and cafes in the area all closed.

We walked the short distance to the old town, where we were confronted by the enormous and imposing walls of Lucca.  Inside, we found a beautifully preserved old town, full of towers, churches and lanes.

The most famous of all the towns had a small garden at the top.  We climbed the stairs to the top, and looked out at the lovely town.  The town had a cosy and intimate feel to it.  Its small size and narrow streets made it a perfect destination to explore whilst walking.  It's close distance to Florence was also ideal for us as a stop, but I wasn't sure if I would spend too much more than a day here unless it was to use as a base to visit the region further.

It was a strange feeling being in the town itself though.  We were very much in the middle of the tourist season, but even though Lucca felt well maintained, it still felt relatively empty.  The shops were only partly full, there weren't many people on the streets, and when we walked further out to the edges of the town, we found ourselves completely alone.  

Even inside some of the old churches we visited, there was no one at all.  No attendants, no caretakers, no visitors.  Just us, alone in the old building.