Look at the Stars, Look How They Shine for You {Lucca}

This Saturday, Becca and I took a day trip to Lucca, Italy! Lucca is a gorgeous Tuscan city about a two and a half hour train ride away from Siena. It was a nice confidence-booster after the crazy weekend in Spain. We spent the morning and afternoon wandering the streets and circled the town by walking around the medieval wall.

A view of the wall from the outside of the city, with the tower of San Martino church

A big gate, which we walked through to enter Lucca

Robin-egg blue bus (my favorite color) 

Such a quaint town! :)

People would park their bikes along the sidewalks, often without locking them. This bike owner was lucky I had a conscience: I might have stolen this bike! It was so cute:)

Lucca felt very safe. It was still touristy, but it still felt like people actually
 lived there too, a feeling that you don't get when visiting big cities like
Florence or Barcelona.

I'm obsessed with every door I come across! I'm thinking of doing just a
post of "the doors of Italy" :)

San Martino cathedral

Little postcard stand/bicycle. Lucca loves their bikes!

Window from the back of San Martino cathedral

Back of San Martino cathedral. Look at that blue sky in the background! We got so lucky for the beautiful morning/afternoon because as soon as we got on the train to go back, we could tell a storm was about to roll in.

An old lady feeding pigeons. As much as these creatures freak me out, this warmed my heart.

Market in front of one of the many churches with lots of handmade crafts.

We came across a vintage car show and all the drivers were revving their engines continuously. I guess asserting your masculinity is a universal thing;)

A little merry-go-round. Not even close to the Salem Riverfront's, but it was still adorable.

Church of San Michele in Foro

So much color!

Tower of the Chiesa di San Frediano (yet another church)

Charming little flower shop

Impressive mosaic on the Chiesa di San Frediano, made mostly of gold leaf

Anfiteatro, a square built on the ruins of an ancient Roman amphitheater. A garden show was going on and the smell of spring was in the air.

Climbing Guinigi Tower

Then we climbed the Guinigi Tower. Notice the oak trees growing on the top!

Stairs from about the middle of the tower up. Not nearly as claustrophobic as Siena's tower!

Love seeing the branches from the trees on top peeking into the frame!

The tough climb is always worth the view! Spectacular.

Just beyond the city: beautiful countryside and mountains

Stroll Around the City's Medieval Wall

After climbing the tower, we headed toward the city wall and walked halfway around the entire city back to the gate where we came in.

Again with the door obsession! I tamed it for the blog. I might have a problem;)

Either someone's very elaborate backyard, or just an awesome public building

Many tourists rented a bike and rode around the city. We opted to walk so we could soak it all up and get some great pictures too.

Cute public park

The Oregonian in Becca and I loved seeing all the green. It even smelled like home!

So it's kind of hard to see, but someone wrote a line from one of my favorite songs: "Yellow" by Coldplay.
It says "Look at the stars, look how they shine for you." It was cool to see that words that hold a lot of
meaning for me, are also meaningful to someone halfway across the world.

Another view of the wall

Cool looking church outside the city walls

Trees were blooming everywhere. Becca said, "It smells like allergy season!"

Our trip to Lucca was wonderfully uncomplicated, a big difference from our trip to Barcelona. Next week, we head to Rome for the first time to meet up with my brother, grandma and aunt. Then they come to Siena. I'm very excited to explore Roma with them and show them the city I've been living in the past month.

A Moment of Synchronicity

Peace can be found at 289 feet above ground
A week or so ago, Becca and I climbed the Torre del Mangia in Siena's Piazza del Campo. We climbed the medieval staircase, with no handrails and barely enough room for one person. As you can imagine, two way traffic was kind of a problem, but we managed to squeeze into the corner if someone was coming the other way. By the end of the climb, my body was not too happy with me, but the breathtaking view way worth the struggle. From that far up, the bustle of the city drifts away to reveal the more peaceful side of Siena, with its gorgeous stone and country side.

Yawns are contagious even from thousands of miles away
I have been using my iPhone to FaceTime to keep in contact my boyfriend. Usually when I get ahold of him, it's either time for me to go to bed, or it's nighttime back home, which means one of us is usually yawning. This exchange of yawns, one I saw as annoying before, now makes me smile. It's a moment of synchronicity which connects us, despite the many miles that divide us.

All the rumors you've heard about Italian men are true
Before I left for Italy, I was warned about how forward Italian men are; when they see a pretty girl across the street, cat calls and smoochy noises will ensue. However, the first two weeks Becca and I spent in Siena, not one guy had approached us. Either the stereotype was untrue, or we were just not that good looking. Of course, we went with the former theory ;) But then we went to Pisa. Several groups of guys called out, "Ciao, bella!" putting their fingers to their lips and making the expected kissy sounds. I'm not sure if I will ever be comfortable with this tradition, but I'm going to take it as a compliment.

I have a new appreciation for the American laundry process (something I never thought I'd say!)
In Italy, electricity is extremely expensive. As a result, washers are much smaller and dryers are nonexistent. I can fit about a third of the clothes in one load that I could back home, and everything has to be dried on a nifty contraption. Clothes come out stiff and scratchy. While I don't mind doing it for a few months, I will be glad to have my huge washer and dryer back when I get home.

Taking an unknown path leads to wonderful surprises
This Sunday, Becca and I went on a mini-adventure, exploring the parts of Siena that we had left uncharted. Of course, I was hesitant at first, but thankfully Becca pushed me out of my comfort zone. We happened upon some gorgeous views, and even found a park with a swing. Five minutes of swinging the landscape of Siena was just what the kid in me needed!

Red-heads are a rarity in Italy
As a result, I get stared at on a daily basis. The combination of my odd hair color and my above average height draws some attention. Even a police man, driving past in his cop car, was perplexed by my appearance. Although completely harmless, I do miss being able to blend in.

A glass of wine and live music is the perfect cure for homesickness
Thankfully, I've been able to avoid extreme homesickness so far, but one night last week, I was really missing the comforts of home. We got invited by some American friends to go out, and frankly, it was the last thing I wanted to do. After a few tears, I picked myself up by my bootstraps and forced myself to go, and I had a blast. The band played a bunch of American songs I knew, and although being in the presence of musicians made me think of my amazingly talented boyfriend, I'm so glad I took advantage of a fun experience.

Italians run on their own time
Not only are clocks set on a 24 hour clock (so instead of 4:00 pm, they say 16:00,) Italians also like to take their time getting places. One of my teachers usually gets to class 5 to 10 minutes, and when you plan to meet someone at 8pm, it really means 8:30. I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to this. For now, Becca and I still show up to class a respectable five minutes before it starts.

Having a kindred spirit makes all the difference
I am so very thankful to have such a great person like Becca on this trip with me. She encourages me to be adventurous, but is okay with staying in and watching Netflix too:) I'm not sure if I would be having as much fun as I am if she wasn't here. God has definitely blessed me with a kindred spirit to make this grand adventure even better!