Sunday, April 28 – Tuesday, April 30, 2019

The time has come to say arrivederci Toscana…

On our last day in Lucca, we wanted to take a final look at this wonderful city, and what better way than going up the Guinigi Tower?

A piece of cake after all the vertical challenges we had previously endured! The view, as expected, was stunning. The smaller towers peeking out of a sea of red rooftops, the narrow streets, the familiar walls in a distance, the sounds that make the city vibrant… it all reminded us how much we have enjoyed living here for a while.

We headed for the Botanical Garden, an oasis of tranquillity despite the scarcity of blooms at this time of the year.

We stopped at La Bottega del Gelato and really felt we were betraying Sandrino, where by now, we were receiving a special greeting… 🍦👍🍦🍦

Tuscany was a blast and I will dream about it for a while. This Italian adventure was everything I hoped for, and so much more! With the peak season approaching, though, the crowds will be thicker and the locals, less accommodating. I want to remember living in Lucca in April, with a jacket and an umbrella, with the butcher, the baker and the gelato maker to recognize me after a while, with strolls on the walls before dinner, with savoury dishes like picci, risotto with porcini mushrooms, stuffed focaccia, gelato, and macchiatos. How could I ever forget…

And now, the journey home… If packing was challenging (&$@$#j), so was a good night sleep! Taxi to the train station, regional train from Lucca to Florence, Frecciarossa to Rome termini station, train express to Fiumicino airport then spending the night in Rome, catching our ✈️ to Toronto the next day… As much as I enjoyed the language, the scenery, the art, the history, the food, the people… there is no place like home because it is where my family is!

Here we come, Canada, but not before a scrumptious last meal (dessert was too sinful to take a picture…)!

Thank you for traveling with us, for your comments and your support!

Until next time,

Anna