Another stop on our tour of the Chianti region was at the terra cotta workshop of Sergio Ricceri.
Sergia Ricceri throwing a pot.
Here we learned about the high quality of clay in this region, which produces superior terra cotta pots and decorative items. I was attracted to the planters decorated with lemons and also the roosters.
Sergio’s works are available directly from him (and several people in my group ordered pieces which he shipped–and they arrived perfectly intact).
These three pictures are from Sergio’s website; the painted pieces are hand-painted.
Picture from Sergio’s website.
As we left Sergio’s workshop, the sun was setting, and everywhere we looked, the sky was vibrant pink.
A big part of Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.) is spending time with people as they go about their everyday lives. On this tour in Tuscany and Umbria, we spent a day at Podere Le Fornaci, an organic farm run by Amanda, Valentina and Nocolo. They raise goats and make goat cheese which is sold in local markets.
First, we met the goats and learned of the history of the farm and the people who work the farm. Then we learned about making goat cheese and helped make some cheese. We ended the day with a meal that incorporated varieties of goat cheese.
This is Liugi. On this small goat farm, every goat has a name. Liugi was the most rambunctious of the goats we met.
An introductioon to goat farming and the goatsOur Group Tour Leader GiacomoA lesson the varieties of goat cheese. I learned that goat cheese can be aged–for a bit at least. Our group making goat cheese.Ready for lunch
The shutters in Lucca caught my eye because there were unlike any I had ever seen, and they reminded me of eyelashes. There were so whimsical, as though the windows were fluttering their eyeslashes at me.
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924), was born in Lucca and spent a substantial part of his life there.
Statue of Giacomo Puccini in front of the Puccini Museum
In a joint venture between art students and professional artists, twelve store shutters were painted with the women of Puccini’s operas.
Unfortunately, the exhibit was not meant to be permanent and some of the shutters have been painted over, but here are the ones I noticed as I walked the streets of Lucca.
After twelve days in France, I flew to Florence for an Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.) tour of Tuscany and Umbria. The tour began in Lucca, a walled city about an hour west of Florence.
I arrived three days before the tour began, and I used those days to explore Lucca.
On my first day, I took a walk on the top of the walls and also visited the Palazzo Pfanner, a home and garden inside the walls. Even though it was November, there were plenty of flowers and lemons (I stopped counting the lemon trees at 25. I thought maybe they used all those lemons for limoncello, but I was told they just like lemons).
Palazzo Pfanner as seen from on top of the city wall. Those are all lemon trees lining the walkways.
I stayed at the San Luca Palace Hotel inside the walls. It was a great location and a wonderful hotel. The staff was extremely welcoming and helpful. Since I was on my own those first few days, I appreciated their suggestions and directions. I highly recommend staying at this hotel because their attention to service was outstanding.
I arrived in early afternoon, and even though it was not meal time, one of the staff offered to make me something to eat (a delicious ham and cheese panini).
Then, I needed a manicure, and the Hotel receptionist recommended a nearby salon. Even though no one in the small salon spoke English, we were able to communicate through gestures, and I got the best manicure I have ever had!
Day one in Italy was the beginning of a wonderful adventure.
I first became aware of this attraction when I visited Krakow, Poland, thirteen years ago and stayed inside the walls. Even though the walls are no longer intact, a park surrounds the Old City and marks where the walls had once been. I felt safe being inside the Old City.
On my second visit to Krakow a year later, I stayed outside the walls. Every morning, I crossed over into the Old City, and something about being inside the walls felt secure to me.
A few years later, a friend visited Carcassone, a walled city in France, and sent me videos. As soon as I saw the videos, I knew I wanted to visit. It took a few years, but I went last spring, and I specifically chose to travel with Overseas Adventure Travels (O.A.T.) because they offered the opportunity to stay inside the walls of Carcassone.
The tour started further north, though, in Angers, another city with walls. Once again, I felt drawn to being within the walls. When we got to Carcassone, I felt completely at home within the walls.
Last month, I visited Avignon, another walled city, and I again found myself drawn to the inside.
Avignon, France
And then last week, I visited Italy and spent a few days in Lucca, a walled city in Tuscany.
The walls around Lucca are intact and the top of the wall is a wide path where people walk, run or bike. I walked the path several times during my stay, enjoying the views of the Old City below.
One of the gates into the walled city of Lucca, named after St. Donato
Inside the gate, I came across this fireplace and painting.
Not only is Lucca surrounded by a wall, but beyond the walls are mountains, creating the impression of a double boundary.
What is it that draws me to these enclosed places?
Walking the path on the walls of Lucca one day, I pondered the mystery of my attraction to walled cities, and I thought about growing up in Detroit.
Detroit is anything but walled, but there were certain streets which I never crossed. I stayed within the confines of an area around my house, never venturing beyond Woodward Avenue or Eight Mile Road. Without being told to, I had created my own walls.
Awareness brings an invitation, and my awareness of being drawn to walled cities and of creating physical boundaries, makes me think about other walls I have built—not necessarily physical walls but any kind of boundary that gives me a sense of security.
I find myself asking if my walls are a matter of security or a limitation, and if I being invited to step out from beyond the walls and take a chance on what is on the other side.
Madeline Bialecki 