Our Travels in Italy

Looking out of my kitchen window at the cold grey sky I find it hard to believe just over a week ago I was sweltering in thirty-eight degree temperatures.

Coming down to earth after a fantastic holiday is always hard. Holiday plans are often made months or even years ahead and too soon it’s all gone, except for the memories and the endless photos taken.

Our recent trip to Italy was for a special family reunion. We have a daughter and her family living in Brisbane and our son, who is a teacher, lives with his family in Bangkok. Therefore we do not get to our extended family all that often.

In all, we were away for six weeks with a stopover in Singapore. We have been to Singapore before but this time I really noticed how incredibly clean it was – no street litter and beautiful gardens were everywhere. The buildings were so modern and beautifully designed. Singapore is indeed a very prosperous city. The vehicles on the roads have to be less than ten years old. It is a bit expensive – for a treat we stayed in the Shangri-la, which is a luxurious hotel. To eat or drink there you needed a fat wallet indeed. I must admit the quality is superb though. We stayed there on our way to Rome and also on our way back to Auckland. This was our little bit of indulgence on the trip – after nearly two years since we have had a holiday we felt we deserved it.

Arriving in Rome is always exciting; the buzz of just being there is an awesome feeling. I have to say it was very hot, obviously we choose the hottest time of the year, which did make it a bit hard for me getting around. Thank goodness there are plenty of taxis which I had to resort to, to get me around. The younger, fitter members of the family walked to all the sights but even so they found the heat taxing.

One of my favourite places to visit in Rome is the Pantheon, sitting there in all its glory. Apart from its majestic big columns in the front it is a rather grey looking structure but inside its beauty is just overwhelming. It has an amazing effect on you and is always on my to-do list when I am in Rome.
After a few short days in Rome we hopped on the train and headed off for our beloved Lucca, which is north of Rome. It’s around a three hour trip to Pisa and from there we hired a car to take us on the twenty five minute picturesque drive to Lucca.

Arriving in Lucca always feels like coming home. We always rent an apartment and the lovely manager Sonia arrives on her bike to greet us and make us most welcome. Gradually over the next couple of weeks our family from overseas arrived to spend time with us. Also we had friends from Auckland arrive and we had the most amazing time together. We had lovely dinners out together, and the girls shopped as the sales were in full swing, while the boys of the family walked or cycled the walls of Lucca. You can do as much or as little in Lucca as you want to. There is plenty to see and do but if you feel adventurous Pisa, Florence, Sienna and many other places are just a train ride away. Lucca makes for a great base but this little walled town has plenty to offer all on its own.

In 2013, on a previous trip to Lucca, we met two lovely opera singers. We attended one of their concerts and from there we formed a life long friendship with them. Earlier this year they performed two concerts in Auckland.

While in Lucca we attended a delightful concert in an old church up in the hills. It was pure magic and our friends invited us to attend. This was an experience I will always remember. Before the concert a group of us had dinner at a lovely authentic Lucchesse osteria, nestled in the hills. The trimmings were so quaint and you felt like you were living in days gone by.

We had many an evening together enjoying the wonderful local food and the wonderful music of Lucca that filled the night air. Street performers and dancers enhanced the atmosphere and it was lovely to be able to just sit there and watch.

Leaving to come back home was ever so hard. My husband and I have found our happy place, so its back to saving hard again for the next two years so we can return. My husband is of retirement age so we need to get in a bit of travel before that happens.

I know a lot of readers travel and the memories you make last forever. For me I love travelling overseas. New Zealand of course is beautiful and has its own unique charm but for me I really enjoy the history and the romance of Italy, so part of me will always stay there.

Ciao.

By Kay Rayner. Read more here.