My name is Marion Vermazen. I am a traveler, hiker, reader, Sun alumnus, computer geek, YouTuber, Spanish and French language student, knitter, weaver and genealogist.
Author: marionvermazen
I am a traveler, hiker, avid reader, Sun alumnus, computer geek, Spanish and French language student, knitter and genealogist. I am retired after working for almost 30 years in the Computer Industry. I live in Reno, Nevada with my husband Duke.
When we ate dinner at Casta D’Uva a few nights ago we really liked the local wine we had. So Tuesday after we left Villa Marta we drove back to Montecarlo to the Carmignani Winery where they make the wine. We tasted a couple other wines and bought several bottles to be shipped home.
Wine tastingThe wine we enjoyed at Casta D’Uva
Then we headed north. The terrain north of Lucca is mountainous. We could have taken the autostrada along the coast and had a shorter driving day but instead we chose the scenic route through the mountains.
Pieve Fosciana
When we arrived at our hotel we had a late lunch on the terrace.
It rained pretty much all day Monday. We decided to go for a walk anyway. Our original plan was to walk along the nineteenth century aqueduct. But when we started out we decided it might be kind of a boring hike.
Aqueduct of Nottolini
Instead we decided to walk all the way around old Lucca on the town wall. The distance is 2.6 miles (4.2 kilometers). It was raining quite hard but there were still a lot of people out. We saw a lot of costumes because Monday was the last day of the Lucca Comics and Games Festival.
People waiting to get into one of the Festival venues.Duke on the Lucca town wall.
After our walk we drove to a grocery very store and replenished our lunch supplies. We both had wet pants below where the raincoats ended. So when we got back to Villa Marta we changed into dry clothes and then had a picnic lunch in the gazebo behind the hotel.
Drying my shoesPicnic lunch
For dinner we went to a nearby trattoria, A Bimbotto. We had excellent pizza. Having each topping separate on the pizza is something I have seen quite often in Italy but not everywhere. We ended with the famous family dessert. They called it a cake but I thought it was somewhat similar to a pecan pie.
Duke’s pizzaMy pizzaTipica torta co’ becchi di amaretti
Sunday we moved from Montecarlo just east of Lucca to a lovely former hunting lodge, Abergo Villa Marta, just south of Lucca. They are only fifteen miles apart so we had lots of time to site see. We spent the day exploring Lucca.
My suitcase and I at the gate to Villa MartaVilla Marta
You may remember I love it when serendipity puts us in a town when a festival is happening. A week or so ago we happened to be in Stroncone for the Chestnut Festival. Well it happened again! We are in Lucca for the annual Lucca Comics and Games Festival. Today is Halloween. There has been no mention of Halloween in Lucca, but there have been lots of great costumes.
Batman
There were a lot of people and many tents and venues where you needed tickets to get in. We enjoyed seeing some of the beautiful buildings and churches.
St Martin CathedralBasilica of San FredianoSt Michael’s Church in Lucca
Lucca is the only Italian town with an intact wall surrounding it. You can walk all around the town on the wall. We found a bench and people watched and enjoyed the beautiful fall day.
On top of the Lucca wallLucca WallDuke and I are on the Lucca Wall
For dinner we ate at a Michelin listed restaurant less than a mile from Villa Marta, LaCecca. We had a great dinner with a very entertaining and friendly waiter.
Comics and Games festival posters in the restaurantBeef with potatoes and zucchini Veal scallopini
When we left our hotel Friday morning we stopped at the post office in the village so I could mail a card. There were three people ahead of me, all waiting outside for their turn to enter the post office. About 30 minutes later when I got to the front of the line the woman behind me, who was accompanied by her young daughter, about seven years old, started talking to me in rapid Italian. Although I didn’t understand a word it was clear she really wanted to go next. I said OK explained I don’t speak Italian and asked the seven year old if she speaks English. She shyly said no. I let the lady go ahead of me. There seemed to be a lot of drama relating to her transaction. Meanwhile the seven year old was pointing to random things and saying “red, orange white, blue.” A bit later she started “Monday, Tuesday Wednesday…. “ She wouldn’t make eye contact with me, but pretty soon she started showing off her ability to count in English and say “Hello, Good bye” it was pretty cute. Her mother finally finished her business twenty minutes later. And I was able to buy my stamp. The clerk was very apologetic. My transaction took two minutes. And we were on the road fifty minutes after we arrived at the post office.
As we drove north through Tuscany we continued to see beautiful fall colors.
Tuscan countryside
We visited the Florence American Cemetery. It has the graves of over 4,000 Americans who died in WWII.
Florence American CemeteryFlorence American CemeteryFlorence American Cemetery
Our dinner can be added to the best of the trip list. Casta D’Uva had wonderful ambiance, great music, great service, and excellent food. I loved that the owner seemed to know a lot of the customers. At least three times he came in and sat down to chat with the people at a table.
Casta D’UvaThe flavor combinations were sublime.. especially the tomato. Shrimp risotto Pork, potatoes, and fruit preservesFruit soup
We are staying at Borgo la Torre in the little town of Montecarlo about half way between Florence and the Italian west coast. It’s a beautiful and comfortable place. We will be here two nights. That’s nice because by the end of a two month trip I srart to get tired of packing up and moving every day. Our plan is to continue moving north and eventually fly home out of Milan in just over a week.
Marion's Blog 