The year 1345 wasn’t a great one for this part of the world. There had been floods in Tuscany, an earthquake in Pisa and widespread famine throughout Northern Italy. In that same year, not far from where we are now, Giovanni came back on his boat from a business trip to the Black Sea. He told his wife that he didn’t feel so flash- she told him to go to bed and stop playing with the lumps in his armpit and groin. Within 6 months more than a third of the population of Italy would die from the Black Death, a disease that found its way to Europe via the sea ports around here. Further outbreaks would spread the disease throughout the rest of Western Europe and eventually bring about massive changes to the feudal system in most of Western Europe, to the ruling classes and to the way people viewed the Church. Giovanni told his wife he was sick.

Partly because of this disruption there was the rise and rise of the merchants in Italy in the fifteenth century, families such as the Borgias and the Medicis. They made their fortunes selling wool, textiles and favours. They became the great bankers and patrons of the arts. In the 21st century Donald Trump owns real estate and managed to impress Ivanka and Stormy – in the 15th century the Medicis owned Florence and Tuscany and didn’t need to impress anybody – they had da Vinci and Michelangelo as house painters and church decorators.

Lucca, where we are now, was Etruscan, Roman, Germanic etc. etc. (as is the way in this part of the world), but became wealthy on the silk trade in the 1300’s and remained a more or less independent republic until Napolean came through in the early 1800’s. The apartment we are in is about 300 – 400 years old the owner thinks. It is out of the city centre, but inside the city walls – being inside the walls is probably a good thing I suppose, just in case the Germanic tribes decide on another attack on Italy in the next 3 weeks while we’re here.

It is a beautiful, beautiful city, a wandering city. Most of the buildings look the same and the streets meander – as is the way in many old European towns. It is an easy, but wonderful, place in which to get lost. (I met a fellow Australian today who left his wife in a coffee shop and still hasn’t found her or his apartment despite all his best efforts. He’s been looking for her since last July.) I spent today just strolling and getting acquainted with Lucca and I know I am going to love this place. Unfortunately Linda has been quite ill and has been confined to bed….

Actually I think I’d better let you go Farquar, I should check Linda’s armpits for lumps and for a rose-coloured rash on her torso. So long as I can find our apartment, that is.

F C-S

PS At least I have a photo of our apartment – it is sandy coloured with green window shutters……