Out of Office, Somewhere

Lucca: beautiful, historic, and apparently intent on testing our sense of direction and dry socks.

We landed in our second-floor (primo piano, because saying “second floor” in Italy would put us in an apartment on what we know as the third floor in the states) apartment, and immediately fell in love. The entrance to the apartment was a bit sketchy, but then…

Frescoed bedroom ceilings, three large bedrooms, two baths, and a curious mix of contemporary furniture tucked inside a 16th-century building. The kitchen featured a vintage Ariete toaster and a tea kettle that made us feel slightly European and completely retro. Oh wow!

Our first outing: music theater. Canceled. Pianist ill. Fine. Then the rain came, hard, and we set off for museums—closed. Winter hours in Lucca! Apparently, the gods of Italian culture had a sense of humor.

Lunch saved our dignity. Delicious tagliatelle with pumpkin (zucca) and burrata salad. We ran into a small, family-run osteria, happy to give us shelter and time to dry off.

We soldiered on: Puccini’s house (impressive), medieval clock tower (stunning views, heart-palpitating floating stairs), walls (we walked them like we were training for a mini-tour-de-Italy), bastions and tunnels (hello, secret passages), and the Domus Romana museum, where Roman ruins turned out to be surprisingly fantastic.

Timing was critical at the clock tower. We escaped with a minute to spare before the bells rang noon and practically shook the city walls. Heart rate: 10/10. Exhilaration: 11/10. Wet socks: still a 10.

During our stay in Lucca, we treated ourselves to a Puccini and Verdi recital at the Church of San Giovanni. It felt like the most exclusive concert in town-with an audience of about twenty people (and yes, we counted). A tenor and a mezzo soprano performed as if they were singing to a packed opera house, while we sat there wondering how we had wandered into a private concert without realizing it. The stunning Basilica provided a dramatic backdrop, its acoustics doing half the work and making every note soar. And really, what could be better than hearing Puccini performed in his hometown? It felt slightly indulgent, wonderfully unexpected, and like one of those moments where you quietly thank the travel gods for getting it exactly right!

And then, finally the next morning, the clouds parted. Lucca rewarded us with a cloudless, sun-drenched finale. We decided this was clearly a sign to stop hiding from the weather and join civilization, opting for a guided tour of Lucca to fill in what we had missed on our own. Our guide, Paola, was fabulous – as she walked us along the city walls, pointing out details we would have breezed by (and likely did miss the other times we walked the wall loop). She led us through the bastions and down into the tunnels beneath the walls where we briefly questioned whether this counted as sightseeing or light adventuring. By the end, we had a whole new appreciation for how much history in tucked into Lucca’s beautifully preserved defenses.

Three trains later, we were back in Siena, tired, and ridiculously happy.

Takeaway: Lucca is magical, history-laden, and absolutely worth the floating stairs, unexpected closures, and mistaken restaurants. Bring boots, a good sense of humor, an extra pair of socks and maybe a bell-timing stopwatch.