Like a dream

After our visit to Lucca, we continued our drive towards the coast and Liguria.  I had been hoping for a scenic drive, but it was mostly just highway driving without many interesting distractions on the way.  We reached the small city of La Spezia, parked our car in the secure parking I had arranged for us and then we headed towards the train station.  It seemed to be a lot of traveling and changing of transport, but we were going somewhere special.

Cinque Terre!

The train ride in was as picturesque as any train I have ever been on.  We arrived after a very short trip, then walked through a long tunnel to get into the town.  I had booked us an apartment and the instructions had been to go to one of the local bars.  At the bar, they were expecting us and grabbed some keys off of a hook and took us on another long and winding walk through some narrow alleys and up some steep stairs.  We hadn't brought too much luggage with us, but I was glad for the help to carry what we had to the apartment.  I could take some of it, but without the extra strength of the guy leading us I would have probably had to have gone back and done two trips.  The apartment was simple and well placed.  We didn't have time to relax and enjoy though.  I had arranged for us an evening boat trip and we needed to move quickly.

We dumped out bags, had a quick look around and then immediately went downstairs and towards the small and incredibly picturesque little harbour of Riomaggiore.  I wondered how we would find the boat, but the attendants for the cruise seemed to have a knack for recognising their guests and spotted us before we spotted them.  There weren't too many others joining us and we were taken aboard the boat without too much trouble or fuss.

The boat moved out of the small harbour and we began our tour of the coastline, heading north.  The atmosphere on the boat was nothing short of jovial.  There were wide grins on each face as we all scanned out towards the shore, looking each of the wonderful and beautiful towns that sprang out of the cliffs.  The crew came around with plates of focaccia and glasses of prosecco for all of us.  Everyone happily moved around the boat, letting others sit in better spots for photos and helping each other to take the photos.

The sun began to set.  Everyone looked out into the distance as the colours and shadows changed and danced around.  The golden glow of the day disappeared and was replaced by more sombre and darker colours.  It was still beautiful, but it didn't have the same wow factor.

We went back to the apartment to rest for a bit before dinner.  We had been given some recommendations so we slowly got changed and made our way out, taking the long and scenic route through the small streets and alleys of the town.  Reaching the back of the town, we looked out at the evening sky.  The town had now lit up and was as beautiful as it had been in the sunshine, bathed now in the soft glow of all the small lights.

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.