Leapfrog

Day 3 in Florence was actually a day in Lucca, a nearby town that really gives you the feel for small town Italy in Tuscany. It was the first really gray day of my visit to this sunny country, but there were still plenty of Luccans? Lucconians? enjoying the beautiful walk on the historic city walls. The walls are Lucca’s main attraction, so I decided that I would walk the whole thing and forage into the main part of the old city if I felt like it.

I pretty much stuck to the outside of the city. The walk was really pleasant, especially as a respite from Florence’s crowds, and the high walls give an excellent view of the cities gardens and winding streets. I did walk into the center of Lucca for a little bit, but there didn’t seem to be anything in particular to keep me there, so I headed back to the wall.

Quick side note- How does everyone in Northern Italy know to paint their houses yellow, orange, or white? It creates a wonderful atmosphere, but HOW IS IT COORDINATED?

I had a simple plan for my last in Florence- see the David and go to the gelato festival. I didn’t follow that plan after reading an article about delicious rice flavored gelato at the festival- I like my ice cream in the normal flavor spectrum. I did however, see the David, which I think was the more important item on the agenda anyway. The line for the Accademia is notoriously a bear, but I got there about half an hour after they opened and only had to wait about 20 minutes, which was completely reasonable.

I love the way the David is presented. You walk up a hallway lined with unfinished Michelangelo’s on either side to see David rising high above the visitor’s heads with a curved white wall and skylight surrounding him. It’s beautiful, and the curved bench behind him was a great place to sit back from the crowds, sketch, and reflect on a masterpiece.

I spent the rest of the day wandering around neighborhoods I hadn’t visited yet and popping in every church I walked past that had open doors. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon, and as I hadn’t visited any churches yet, spending time in them gave me some important understanding.