Taking A Left

Lucca, Italy

"Sometimes a man hits upon a place to which he mysteriously feels he belongs. Here is the home he sought, and he will settle among scenes that he has never seen before, among men he has never known, as though they were familiar to him from his birth. Here, at last, he finds rest."

— Somerset Maugham

And so my story begins. How this quote first came into my life is a tale for another day. On this day, I take a left down a path that started years ago when I first came to experience Italy. Years of trips, months of planning, and weekends dreaming have culminated in this first day of a new phase in life, “learning to live in a foreign language”. What started on February 1st, 2019, with daily lessons in the Lucca Italian School will progress through 2019 towards a new chapter in life when our apartments become available for rent in 2020 and our concierge travel service launches in the Fall of 2019.

In this space, I hope to share our passion for Italy, specifically Tuscany. Through the stories of our journeys, including the places, people, and experiences that helped to change our lives, we hope that you too will become inspired to take that leap of faith and one day journey to the land of “la vita lenta,” the slow life.

Tuscany is more than great food and scenic hilltop towns. There’s no time in Tuscany, only a rhythm to each day and the gathering seasons. Filled with experiences both tactile and visceral that are a tonic for the heart, soul and body. The aroma of the pasticceria around the corner in the early morning air, the far off sound of church bells and the rhythm of conversations in the great romance language surround you, luring you into a different sense of space and pace of life. You’re at home, in a place you never new before or are meeting again for the first time.

Welcome to our journey.

A presto,

Gillie