Wednesday Wanderings – Remembering Lucca

Wednesday Wanderings is a new fortnightly series that I am starting today. Going through my photo archives I realized that I have hundreds of photos that I took on our travels that can tell a story and which have never seen the light of day – or rather of the blogging world. I hope that you will enjoy this series and get a closer glimpse of these cities and places that I love so much. My first Wednesday Wanderings will take you to the Tuscan town of Lucca.



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Lucca was a surprise – a pleasant and lovely surprise. We went there not knowing anything about it except that it was a walled medieval city and came back vowing we would return. Behind its sturdy walls, Lucca revealed itself slowly to us.

We wandered along without rushing to see ‘the sights’ because, for once, we did not have a plan and it felt so good to be ambling slowly along. Unbeknownst to us, Lucca was hosting its Antiques Fair the day we were there. Oh those stalls – it was a vintage lover’s heaven: china, jewellery, junk, frames,  toys, mirrors ...

What made it all the more charming was the backdrop of Romanesque churches, simple fountains and crumbling buildings.

We lost ourselves in the labyrinth of streets, taking in every single detail. The Lucchesi were out for their evening stroll, walking arm in arm, as is so common in Italy, or riding their bikes.

And my eyes drank in  every detail, every little scene: delectable candy displays,

quaint shops,

romantic piazzas,

intricate ironwork,

pretty flower displays.

Seeing these photos, the memories come flooding back. Even after two years I can still see its piazzas and church towers, hear the  vendors selling their wares. And if I close my eyes long enough, maybe, just maybe, I will wish myself back.

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The Mercato dell’ Antiquario is held in Lucca every third Saturday and Sunday of the month in the following piazzas and street: Piazza Antelminelli, Piazza San Giusto, Piazza San Giovanni, Piazza Bernardini, Piazza San Martino, Via del Battistero.
You can learn more about Lucca and its history here.