Today we awoke and said, “Let’s go to Lucca!”

Lucca is a century’s old walled city near Pisa but NOT on a hill. The town is completely surrounded by a wall, the latest of four walls erected around the city at various dates. We had heard much about Lucca and were anticipating our visit. It is a two hour drive from Montepulciano. I wish I could say it was amazing. Actually it was rather disappointing. This could be for a couple of reasons. It was Sunday and few stores were open and the city was dingy and dirty since no trash had been collected since Friday. I think I am becoming an Italian cities snob. The city was uninspired and graffiti riddled.

We drove home in record time driving the autostrada at 140 km/h or a shade under 90 mph. Getting the little Peugeot up to that speed takes tremendous courage but I fear nothing! The privilege of doing this cost $22 in road tolls.

For dinner Ann is making Chicken Milanese with fresh from the Saturday market sliced flat Italian beans in tomato, pancetta and onion, tomato slices also from the market in Balsamic vinegar and a Montalpulciano rosso wine. As nice as that sounds I am really beginning to crave a Big Mac and a large order of fries - super sized. And I don’t even eat that when I am at home.

And while we are at it I also crave two cups of Seattle’s Best Coffee for breakfast each morning, Lay’s Potato Chips – any kind, any flavor day or night, a shower with only one hot/cold lever with constant levels of hot water, a TV that talks English to me, one episode of the new season of House on Fox, A FOOTBALL GAME, any football game, and not the futball they are trying to pass off here, my own high-speed internet connection, and to see dear little Eloise rolling over in person like she did in the video email Laurel sent us.

I am not unhappy and am truly enjoying Italy but things keep slipping into my mind – like junk food. We have nothing like that in the apartment. We are being so good and I need empty calories to survive.

Lesson for Day 27: “Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.”