Casa Rossa is a restored hunting lodge with 5 rooms (for bed and breakfast) and 6 apartments. The property is large and has stables as well as cattle, chicks and donkeys. Of course there are also dogs. There is a pool but it is not open yet – they open it on May 1st for the summer. The proprietor, Cesare, is a super guy who is half English and lives on the property with his family. Our apartment is a duplex with the kitchen downstairs and then two bedrooms (one very large and one small) and a balcony upstairs. Avery and Olivia slept on the pullout sofa-bed in the large master bedroom. Charlotte had her own single.
This morning was relaxing. We had no specific plan and no museum reservations! We awoke to the sounds of birds chirping, and slowly made our way to breakfast. After we ate, the kids ran around the property to see all the animals and came back with feet soaked. It had rained most of the night and the grass was wet and marshy.
We decided to go to the town of Lucca today, but now had the issue of what shoes the kids could wear? Avery ended up in crocs, and Olivia in a set of canvas ballerinas that wouldn’t stay on her feet. As soon as we arrived and parked (this time outside the city walls), we walked over to a bicycle rental shop – conveniently located next to the tourist information counter where we picked up a map – and everyone was set up with their own wheels. Josh took Avery on a tandem bike where he could pedal, but not steer. We rode the 4km on the ancient ramparts of Lucca. It was a great way to see the city, and a lot of fun. At one point, we rode in to the Piazza (main square?) and took a closer look around. We also briefly visited the Basilica di San Martino (with the tomb of Ilaria del Carretto sculpted by Jacopo della Querica in 1407 inside) and the Chiesa del San Giovanni which (like San Clemente in Rome) sits atop another church from the 4th century. That’s the thing about living in Rome, these works of art and excavations evoke a very ordinary reaction because we live among them -- and more significant ones at that -- “back home.”
Unlike Florence, Lucca has a very real fee to it. It’s a pretty town and it’s full of life. Locals as well as tourists were walking, jogging, and cycling the wall. We rode around for an hour and then turned in our equipment. We walked over to the square that used to house the Roman amphitheater. Along the way, we found a store with 6euro sneakers for sale for Olivia (with laces so they stay on her feet despite being a little big). We then located our lunch spot: Trattoria Gigi in Piazza Carmine. It was another yummy meal of osso bucco, lamb, pasta and salad, in a very cozy atmospheric restaurant.
By the time we’d finished, it had just started to sprinkle outside. We walked back through town to our car for the short drive back to Casa Rossa. Josh and I both wanted to nap, along with Avery, of course. The girls had other ideas. They went outside for some animal petting. It turns out, Cesare has rented a part of the property to two women who are starting a horse/pony riding business here. Today they were doing a sort of “demo” for a whole group of kids. It’s not just about riding the animals, but also about teaching them how to care for them, how to handle them, how to get on and off, how to lead, etc. It was a full afternoon of pony tips for all the kids (Avery joined right in when he/we woke up). The ladies also served refreshments that were a big hit with our kids. Charlotte, Olivia and Avery have never met a pastry they don’t like.
Admittedly, after our big lunch, I was not too hungry for dinner; and Olivia was pooped. So tonight, Olivia and I snuggled in bed with a movie while Josh took Charlotte and Avery out to dinner. He went back to see his new friends at O Sole Mio for pizza. But tonight, unlike a rainy Sunday, the place was jam-packed. Instead of waiting for a table, they picked up pizzas to go, and brought them back to our apartment (called Beatrice) at Casa Rossa.
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