Welcome to my blog!

In 2020 Jim and I moved to Lucca, Italy to enjoy our first years of retirement. I blog about Lucca, our travels, the fun and challenges of adapting to a new culture, and share our news with friends and family. I hope that you enjoy reading about my adventures and that the posts encourage you to follow your dreams.

Name and LinkDate PostedKey Words
Another Milestone in Our Italian Immigration Adventure9-Nov-25Moving to Italy, Immigration
Discovering Spello: The Art of Le Infiorate Festival26-Jul-25Umbria, Spello, flowers, festival
Alpine Splendor and Verona’s Charms25-Apr-24Dolomites, Mantova, Verona, wine
Belgium and Cologne Germany17-Mar-24Belgium, Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Cologne
Rediscovering Northern Italy: Exploring Familiar Cities with Fresh Eyes17-Oct-23Alba, Bologna, Milan, Modena, Parma, Truffles
Two weeks in the Republic of Ireland03-Jun-23Ireland, birds
The Story of Kneeling Guy08-Jan-23Lucca
Is JoAn still blogging?20-Dec-22Lucca
Life in Lucca14-Jul-22Lucca
Flower farms26-Jun-22Lucca, flowers
La Foce, Etruscans, birding, and more for my Birthday trip20-Jun-22Tuscany, flowers, birds
Chiesa Di San Salvatore in Mustolio, Lucca06-May-22Lucca
My experiences with the Italian Health System23-Feb-22Lucca, medical, knee
A rather plain church but oh, the history!30-Jan-22Lucca
Our first visitors from America!08-Dec-21Lucca, Sorrento, Capri, Pompei, family
Val d’Orcia, the Southern Tuscan Countryside23-Nov-21Tuscany, Montalcino
Dinner in a vineyard!05-Sep-21Tuscany, wine
Fields of flowers or not!!!11-Jul-21Umbria, Castelluccio, Massarosa, lavender, lotus
Rome without the hordes of people!13-Jun-21Rome
Mini-vacation to Florence17-May-21Florence
Two quiet months but more freedom now!26-Apr-21Lucca, COVID-19
Yellow, Orange, Red but when White???27-Feb-21Lucca, Tuscany, COVID-19
End of Year Reflections03-Jan-21Lucca, COVID-19
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!01-Dec-20Lucca, Christmas
Another lockdown!10-Nov-20Lucca, COVID-19
Not beauty, but war18-Oct-20Lucca, World War II
6 months in Italy and some glitches!16-Sep-20Lucca, medical
The Siena Duomo and Learning Italian10-Aug-20Lucca, Siena, language learning
Gardens, Sunflowers, Beaches and our Apartment05-Jul-20Lucca, flowers, apartment
Day Trips and Driving19-Jun-20Florence, Bolgheri, Cinque Terre
Spring flowers & shopping for food17-May-20Lucca, flowers, apartment, shopping
Coronavirus update, Lucca walls and the trash24-Apr-20Lucca, COVID-19
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly05-Apr-20Lucca, COVID-19
San Frediano and the coronavirus21-Mar-20Lucca, COVID-19, Moving to Italy
Journey to our new home11-Mar-20Moving to Italy
Visas approved!05-Mar-20Moving to Italy
No Visa Yet 😦27-Jan-20Moving to Italy
Too much drama!20-Dec-19Moving to Italy
Closer and Closer!24-Nov-19Moving to Italy, Florence, Lucca, apartment
Transitioning from Here to There26-Oct-19Moving to Italy
We sold our house!28-Sep-19Moving to Italy
House is on the market! When will it sell???25-Sep-19Moving to Italy
Dreams don’t work unless you do.29-Aug-19Moving to Italy
It’s Happening!17-Jul-19Moving to Italy
Back to Lucca May 17 to June 13, 201919-Jun-19Moving to Italy, Lucca
One month retired04-May-19Moving to Italy
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)15-Apr-19Moving to Italy
My Next Adventure Intro21-Mar-19Moving to Italy, Lucca

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