We're back on the boat after 2 1/2 weeks touring Italy. Our last day was spent with our yacht club friends Charles and Kathryn. Charles' mom, Barbara is a sculptor and lives in Italy near Carrera, famous for its marble quarries. She took us to meet several of her artist friends at the marble sculpting studio. What a fascinating experience! We were awe struck by the accomplished and intricate works of art. As we strolled the studio we were able to observe the artists in action and the boys had a supervised attempt at using the marble cutting power tools. Flowing down the hillside next to the studio is a river filled with remnants of marble from the hills - this was a big hit for RJ and Leo as they were able to collect beautiful, natural souvenirs. We then drove up the winding roads to the quarries to see first hand where these large chunks of white marble, like the one used to make Michelangelo's David came from. Charles and Kathryn were generous sharing their time and knowledge as our own personal tour guides.

Many of our other days were spent in Lucca, a small pedestrian friendly town 45 minutes from Florence and the birthplace of Rodney's grandmother, Lucille Landi. The town has medieval origins dating back to 180 BC. It's claim to fame is the protected wall that surrounds the city which was started by the Romans and completed in the 1500's. The four kilometer wall saved the town from many an intruder, including the nearby Florentine's and Pisan's. Today the wall is a popular running, biking and walking path and inside the walls is a quaint Italian village w/ shops, restaurants, cafes and minimal cars. Lucca was our jumping off point for a variety of day trips. We went to Pisa - it was interesting to see the tower, but the climb up the tower was not worth the 15 euros per person. We also traveled to Cinque Terra - five towns connected by trails that are in the hills along the Italian Riveria. We hiked two of the scenic trails. The first one is known as lovers lane was established in the 1930's and enabled the young adults from neighboring villages to rendezvous. Today couples from around the world come here to fasten locks to the trail fences, rails and any possible place to seal their love. Our other days in Lucca were spent homeschooling, biking around the wall, playing in the park, shopping, cooking, climbing towers, etc. We've now returned to Vibo Marina - being back at the boat feels like home, but it's getting rainy & cold and most folks have left. Seems like a good time to be temporary landlubbers - we'll be visiting CA in a few weeks!
Photos Here