THE STONE BORDERS OF LUCCA

I have been far away for a week in the glorious autumnal sunshine of North Italy - to the perfect, pocket-sized, medieval walled city of Lucca in Tuscany. All winding stone streets, tiled roofs, shuttered windows and tottering towers. The shopping, the food, the wine, the cafes and the ice-cream - there just aren't enough superlatives to go round! BUT, the biggest surprise by far, it seemed that on every wall, pillar, ceiling and floor, I spied a border! Take a look: