Oh Lucca...how I love thee so.

I first found myself in Lucca for a quick overnight visit in 2011 to visit my friend Vanessa. It only took one bike round around the wall to have me hooked. The next fall, I spent 3 months making Lucca my homebase for sketching and exploring. 

Over 10 years later and I still can't get enough of this city. There's so much to explore here while still not feeling like you're in a giant overwhelming city like Florence. I adore this town and look forward to bring people back to it every year.

Even if you can't join us on a retreat in Lucca, here's my list of 10 things to get you started when you make your way to the Hidden Gem of Tuscany!

With over 10 years of traveling through Italy, I've collected quite a number of sketches and watercolors. To date, I have 8 filled sketchbooks, most of which I bound by hand with mixed paper inside so I can paint, journal, collage and draw all in one place (Psst! Each Wanderful Retreat guest gets their own blank sketchbook to document their adventures!). 

These sketchbooks are some of my most treasured souvenirs and possessions. Totally on the list of things I'd grab if there was ever a fire. Within the sketchbooks though, I definitely have some favorite sketches. Moments that were too good not to document. Sketches that captured amazing places, meals or memories. And some spots that I just can't resist sketching again, again and again, even a decade later.

Strawberry or chocolate gelato? Red or white wine? Pizza Margarita or Pasta Carbonara? While there's no wrong answer (because, YUM!), it can be tricky choosing between two great options! 

We have a similar conundrum when it comes to our Wanderful Retreats. How do you choose between an amazing week in a villa tucked in the hills of Southern Tuscany, or an equally amazing week in the historic center of bustling Lucca?! 

While we can't pick for you (or why pick between the two, you could do both weeks ;)), we can help guide you in selecting the Wanderful Retreat week that fits you best! 

Ciao dear friends, it's been too long...

​This summer was an absolutely wanderful whirlwind of exploring new cities, eating delicious food, making new friends and creating amazing memories. I first traveled through Berlin, Amsterdam and London with my boyfriend and his family, before we headed to Tuscany to prep and host the retreats! After the retreats wrapped up, I flew south (waaay south) to Africa to join my boyfriend on a safari in Kenya and a canoe trip in Zambia. It was quite an adventure!

​There are SO many photos on Instagram across all my social media accounts...Sketchy Notions for peeks inside my 8th sketchbook, my own personal account for little memories, and, of course, the Wanderful Retreats Instagram for all things retreat related! But I wanted to share a few of my favorite photos and memories from the 2019 Wanderful Retreats in Castiglion Fiorentino and Lucca!