Go Looking

In last weeks post I wrote about this need I have developed to be looking down alley ways when I am traveling. To me they tell a story about the places I visit, they speak to me in historical tones that I most likely won’t see on a Main St. People don’t go out of their way to tidy up an alley way, they don’t exist to impress. In fact their main purpose is as a passage way for pedestrians, and bicycles, or any other non-automobile type of transportation.

In Europe they have as many unique names as there are countries and cities to go along with them. With the explosion of the motorcar in this country in the early part of the twentieth century the need for alley ways started to dwindle as urban planners began to work with a more suitable city block.

I love them, I love to walk up and down them, and more importantly I love the histroy behind them and the stories they continue to tell to anyone who will look and listen. This particular alley way is a favorites and one I have actually visited. It is part of the Tuscany Region of Italy in a city called Lucca. A city known for its well preserved Renaissance Walls that encircle its historic city center.

I have visited the city of Lucca around a dozen times and each time I make my way by this alley way. The picture above is one in which it appears as if time has frozen. What you are looking at is what it looks like every time I have visited this city. In Lucca, as in many of the cities of Europe, bicycles and scooters or the main modes of transportation within the city limits. Many of the alley ways like this one cannot be accessed by car. For many of the locals the alley way is the front door to their residence.

However, once you get used to making your way around these beautiful historic European cities you come to realize that some of the best local restaurants and local shops are accessed by these alley ways. The local secrets and hidden gems if you will. I love the character they share with you, I am always left with the thought, “if walls could talk!”

Another element that adds so much character to the alley way are the ones that are massive stairways which bring you up or down to different levels of the city you’re visiting. I would go as far as to say that most if not all of the photographs I have taken of stairways and alley ways over the years are suitable for framing. If you take the time to look through my gallery you will find some of my favorites.

There are famous monuments, historical buildings, breathtaking landscapes, all of which are beautiful in the eye of the beholder. If you want to look and learn about the character and soul of some of the most historical places in the world, go looking for the alley way!

Talk soon…

G