Finishing Firenze and Luminous Lucca: Days 13-15

So a quick update on where I actually am... I am in Salerno, a port city on the Amalfi coast and it is amazing. More to come on that later though.



Day 13 -
So, after a late night in Florence, I decided to sleep in a bit and it was awesome. I did not have anything too farmal planned for that day in Florence, so I hung out with some girls from the hostel and went to see some of the architecture around Florence.
At lunch time, we decided to eat (so surprising) and we came upon this little trattoria with a ton on awesome looking food crammed int he window. We went in and sat down and the people were really nice. Right across from our table there were about 6 tables pused toghether for at least 15 men. They were all laughing and drinking and eating and having a good time; it was so cute and totally the Mafia! I swear. The actual meal was pretty funny. In Italy they don't wait for all of the food to be done to bring it out, it just comes when it is ready, meaning that since the pesto that I oredered had to be made, my plate came out after both of the girls had completely finished. It was pretty funny, but I was getting really hungry. Ultimately it was worth the wait. Pesto is so great here. Strangely, in the States I wasn't a huge fan, so maybe it is just the awe-factor of being in Italy.
After that we split up and I went to see some more marble churches. Everything in Northern Italy is made of marble, the churches, the streets, I wouldn't be surprised to find a marble computer somewhere. I eventually wondered into a tour group for a bit of a stroll around the Chiesa San Creco which was kind of cool. After being found out, I started to head back towards the hostel, as the heat began to get to me and I went to a piazza in the uiversity district and it was so calm and very comforting. I have enjoyed finding tranquility in all of the cities I have been in. It is a necessity for me. Ultimately I wound my way back to the hostel after seeing everything that I could find that was free.
If you are wondering what happened to Kara, she decided to do a day trip to Cinque Terre and I was so jealous of her. That evening I just hung out in the hostel and talked with some people... leading the crazy life I lead, eh?


Day 14 -
The next day, all I had to do was pack up and head to the train station (oh, and figure out where I wanted to go), so it was a bit of a slow start. I hung out with Kara for a bit in the morning and then we headed our separate ways. It is always a little sad to leave people you have been hanging out with. It is funny, but in two or three days you can become pretty close, thank goodness for facebook!
I got to the station and decided between Siena and Lucca. Lucca won, because it didn't seem like Siena had much budget accomodation and Lucca is much smaller. I can't handle big cities for too long, they are exhausting.
On the train to Lucca, there was no air conditioning, so all I did was sweat the entire way. Luckily, trains put me right to sleep, so at least I wasn't too aware of the heat. At one point, I was the only person in my train car and it stopped in the middle of nowhere and I totally thought that I had forgotten to get off. I stood up and looked around and as I was going to scheck the next car we start moving again. Thank goodness!
Finally, I arrived in Lucca and had to cross into the city, through the city walls. Lucca is completely surrounded by medeival walls. On the way through town, I got kind of lost and by the time I acutally made it to the hostel I was really hot and kind of grumpy, but the hostel itself was very nice. Overall, I have had very good luck with hostels. I got to the room, took a shower and a nap and was revitalized for the evening. I have fallen in love with the idea of siestas.
After getting my energy back, I started to walk through the city and it was so cute. I got to the other side of the city and went up the wall. There is a beautiful promenade full of peple walking around. I really loved just strolling around. I saw a grandpa with his twin sons and families out together. Sometimes I really felt alone because most people were with someone, but it wasn't lonely, it was just an awareness of my being alone, if that makes sense. At one point I decided to sit on a bench and do a little journaling and a woman came over and sat next to me. We were able to communicate and it was a real accomplishment for me. She was Ukrainian, but had been working in Lucca for several years. We discussed her children and my family. It was really cool!
That was about it for that day, I grabbed a slice of pizza and went back to the hostel for a very nice sleep.

Day 15 -
So the night before I had only walked about half way around the walls, but really liked it. The next day I decided to finish it and actually ended up going around almost three times. Sunday morning was the prime stroling time in Lucca. There were a ton of families just hanging out and having fun. It was really adorable. For me, Lucca was very relaxing. It sounds like all I have been doing on this trip is relaxing, but travel can really take it out of me.
After the walls, I went to the botanical garden and saw a Sequoia tree and a ton of other plants. it was really serene, and actually quite small. Small town, small botanical garden I guess. I then continued to see all of the churches in town, I think there were four, maybe five. They were all ridiculously gorgeous, with amazing marble facades. In front of the last one I got my strawberry and lemon gelato and relaxed until the shade moved. It was really comforting.
That night was the Euro Cup final... Germany v. Spain. The goal that was scored was really beautiful, but the game itself was kind of boring (and no, soccer isn't always boring!). Spain ended up winning. I was rooting for them, but neither team played particularly well, so it was a bit of a let down. I was a bit nervous about the cup ending because it was a huge social tool for me. Grab a beer and watch the game with other foreigners who have been watching it all over Europe. Not to spoil the story, but I have been doing fine without it.

So that was lovely lazy Lucca. I think I just finished day 21 or something, so I have so more work to do, but I think that this was a long enough installment for you! I look forward to hearing from you all and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask - kmbuckwalter@gmail.com