A good reason to Love Lucca

Is for me the Summer Festival arranged 16 times, first time in 1998, but I discovered it first time in 2002 and could enjoy Paul Simon and not to forget Eros Ramazzotti. It was a blast with the passion of an Italian musician along with passionate Italians singing along.

Summer Festival

 

In the years that passed I have been there many summers in July so I could get to listen to some of the best musicians the world has to offer.

In 2008 my wife and I along with friends could enjoy Leonard Cohan, no one above, no one along his side. This year again we could enjoy his poetic lyrics and the music that follows.

 

2012 we enjoyed Nora Jones, Laura Pausini, Georgia and Tony Bennet, a variance of music and just a few of the wide program the festival with Mimmo D’Aessendro comes up with each year.

 

It will be a challenge to top this year 70 thousand people to the 14 concerts of very high level music. It closed with July 30^th with Pino Daniele and Marcus Miller. Just have a look at their web site to see what was going on this year. Our last concert was the Neil Young with his Crazy Horses and other that Leonard Cohan we also enjoyed Diana Kroll.

We did make sure we could listen into a couple of other concerts too; Mark Knopfler and Earth, Wind & Fire when we dined at Giglio those days.



So what will happen next summer? Already Mimmo make sure I have to book July 7^th. Never heard him live and he have been in Lucca 4 times before and have sold out..Elton John. Two other names will be released shortly so this blog will be updated as soon as I get the information.

 

The people behind the festival have creative idea of how and what they will do next year so it will be interesting to follow.

And not only are they arranging a summer festival, they have also expanded it into an additional Winter Festival with a few concerts in November and December.

Winter festival

 

All this along with a jazz festival end of June at the Piazza Anfiteatro that had success this year, not to forget it was the home town of Puccini, so the variance of music is there if you enjoy music.

 

This is one of the many reasons I Love Lucca and I am sure you will too just bring the gospel to the world and let them come each July, the city is ready for the visitors.

Back in Houston after 3,5 week in Lucca

Original I had planned to write as I was in Lucca this summer, but due to the “tool” was not as good as I had hoped to do so I cancelled the plans and better have the words over the next week or so with picture show some of the fun we had during the time.

 

We had a mission to complete, or at least first step of the mission in finding our place in or close to Lucca. It looks like we completed that part, but the final touch of the deal will not be completed before in October/November. The market in Italy is not like other places, like Norway, so if it has not been sold for more than a year, it will not the next 3 months. Ok if it goes, it goes, and it was not to be. Than we know what we look for next time.

Bike ride some Sundays was fun and at times challenging. Visited Tenuta San Pietro Lucca, and Pinocchio Park in Collodi along with other smaller bike rides in Lucca area to get even more familiar with the city and surroundings, will be back to it another day.

 

The same with the restaurants visits we had with the new experience and the development of the restaurants in the area.

All in all, the time in Lucca was as expected, just fantastic. Our Italian friends from the real estate brokers to our dear friends at the Hotel Ilaria and the many restaurants we visit.

Touching was the statement from Samuele Cosentino's wife, Silvia, declared when we told them it was our last dinner for this summer in Lucca;

When you leave the summer leaves.

Silvia and Samuele

When we arrived the summer got to Lucca, but we will make sure that the sun is back later in the year. Even I will lose out on the world championship in cycling I will bring back the summer in October at latest.

Andare oltre si può

You can go beyond




 Andare Oltre si puo

 

And that is what this is all about. In Norway we have been used to Dissimilis in more than 30 years and see all those that have gone beyond. Every Norwegian from the King to whoever you ask knows them and enjoys their laugh, excitement and expressions of their talents and skills.

 

In front line to bring these talents in focus in Lucca is my dear friend Samuele Cosentino. It has been fantastic and emotional to see what he managed to bring to the podium. First of all the record and video with Iacopo, second

Italian music is full of emotion. The beauty of the sounds of the lyric and most of the time with a tune that embrace the lyric in a way that you only can embrace the result yourself.

So from a record and a video Andare oltre si può has become a very interesting event with participants in different area like music, graphic arts, painting, sculpture, photography and video.

 

The Prize "Go beyond you can" was created to stimulate, enhance and promote creativity in the arts / cultural solidarity on the issue of social rights.

The name is inspired by the song written by Sam Cosentino and sang along with Iacopo Grisafi published in December 2012.

Art, in all its forms, is a medium capable of describing, to tell, to communicate.

A jury of 15 experts from the world of art, design and communication and the program includes a group exhibition in Lucca in the prestigious Palazzo Ducale 14 to 21 December 2013.

The award ceremony will take place December 21, 2013 in conjunction with a charity auction of all the works submitted to the Association Down Lucca.

Palazzo Ducale - Lucca



Mentioned is the Norwegian Dissimilis and maybe there is something for them in this event in Lucca or maybe there is some experience from the 30 year’s work at Dissimilis building relation and tie knots is part of my game and what I will do for them and bring on a new passion as I am settling down in Lucca.