Lucca

19 June Albergo Diana, Lucca

The alarm went at 6am this morning, so we could pack, I could wash my hair, we could get everything down those steps, go and buy train tickets so we wouldn't have to queue later - and still have time for breakfast before the train went. I went for the tickets while Phil zip-locked my front pannier rack to its fork I've lost a screw.

We were right on time so had a leisurely breakfast while outside rain began pelting down. It was still bucketing down when we reluctantly emerged. I was wearing skirt and sandals for the train journey. We sheltered under the dripping awning of a little fruit-shop, donned warm tops and rain-coats and made a dash for the tunnel to the station. We needed to make two changes to get to Lucca, and it poured the whole way. The last train was a “roll on “ into the train [Yes!!] with just three steps up to the bike compartment, but the friendly yet completely inflexible young female conductor made us take everything off the bikes so they could sit in the bike hanging area.

It was still pouring down when we arrived in Lucca. First stop was lunch, then we looked for somewhere to stay. Now everyone has raved about Lucca, so right from Australia I really wanted to come here. But, riding round in the rain we decided it in no way compared with Verona, and felt rather let down.

We sheltered in a bar and found a likely looking guest house on the net – the Planet's recommendation was closed for siesta. The room was fine, and it's only 60 a night. We are very glad there's no camping at Lucca. A tent in this would not be fun. We had a rest for a bit after we'd settled in, and read books – or rather I did while Phil had a snooze. We have a night up our sleeve between these three nights and our three nights in Rome, so decided to look around Lucca tomorrow and decide whether to extend our time here or try and get another night at the Panda in Rome.

After this rest we went walking and had a glass of wine each in a small bar playing the Blues Brothers soundtrack – there was also a counter of little snacks, so we snacked. Thus refreshed, we walked a bit more and eventually found ourselves a little trattoria for dinner. The rain started coming down as we headed home for bed.

Sunday 20th June Albergo Diana – Lucca

It was raining this morning, so we slept in, then made breakfast in the room. We downloaded the last lot of photos and cleaned them up, then went looking for a supermarket for lunch supplies. When we finally found one it was shut.

The rainy morning turned into a bright sunshiny day. We bought a ticket for the duomo and the de-consecrated church of San Giovanni. There was a fabulous carving of a young woman there– a funerary sculpture – she died at 23yrs after the birth of her second child. Then lunch at a pleasant open air trattoria, sitting in a little piazza opposite a church.

We found the tourist office after this, and finally got a map. There was a bike-shop next door - I got a pair of souvenir cycling gloves, and we replaced our water-bottles. Then we wandered about and found a fabulous cheese shop, and then a deli groaning with produce and delectables. After this we went to San Giovanni and looked at the archeological site underneath it. There were about 5 layers including the present structure. The earliest constituted Roman baths, a kiln and mosaics from the floor of a house. Pretty amazing! Outside it a table was set up with information about nightly concerts as part of an on-going Puccini festival. We think we might go tomorrow night.

Lucca isn't Verona, but it's got lots of charm aside from the famous wall which encircles it. We found ourselves liking it more and more, and although there are a lot of tourists here, it's quiet – so very relaxing. This is just what we wanted, because Rome is coming next and we know it will be pretty full on before the flight home.

We went out again for dinner, to the same place we went to last night, and were greeted with friendly smiles. It was 8.45 when we walked in, and we were only the second table there, when we left it was full. My crème caramel for dessert (!) wasn't any good, but the rest was fine.

21 June Albergo Diana, Lucca

It was raining early on, so we burrowed back beneath the bed-clothes for a while until the sun came out. We had nothing for breakfast, and we aren't supposed to prepare food in the room, much less use our gas stove to heat water for tea. We usually keep the stove hidden, but this morning we decided to pack up stove and bowls etc, buy our cereal, milk, yoghurt and bananas, and have a picnic breakfast.

This wall which encircles Lucca isn't edged with battlements; it's an elevated pressed gravel roadway which is 4kms long, and gives great views onto the houses and gardens backing onto it, and Lucca's street-scapes, towers and church bell-towers. Locals walk and cycle round it, and tourists love to hire bikes – normal, tandems, tag-alongs and baby carriage tow-alongs – and cycle around it. We went up to the wall, found a sunny concrete seat, spread the sarong, and boiled the stove and made breakfast, thereby getting smiles from locals and tourists alike.
We dropped into another bike shop on the way home, and there was a sale on. We came out with a cycling top and new pair of socks each. Then we went back up on the wall, and rode around it to near here.

I did a bit of washing and strung it out over the shower and basin on our stretchy twisted clothes-line – apparently we're not supposed to wash clothes either. (Phil's been reading the rules!) Then we set off again, and rode around the walls to the big supermarket outside them so I could have Finocchio (fennel) tea, which I love, and which is very hard to get in Australia. A lady with 'poco' English managed to give us directions to a camera shop and we had prints made of the afternoon in Verona with Morag's host family, as a thank you.

After this we had a look at the gardens of Palazzo Pfanner, and went inside. Nice but pretty expensive. Then we picked up some salad-y food for dinner going across town at passegiata time. Everyone's out, and although it's 5.45 and some people have left work, no one’s hurrying. There are dogs on leads, lots of bikes, heaps of pedestrians and the odd car or taxi. The bikes don't ring their bells and cars don't toot, because it's their job to quietly avoid pedestrians without anyone alarming anyone. It works. When the pedestrians get too thick to cycle through – this means packed solid – the cyclists turn themselves into pedestrians for a few minutes. People just move aside pretty good naturedly for the cars nosing along.

We had a quick bite back here, then went to an enoteca Phil had noticed with a special 'promotion' for those Puccini concerts. For one euro more than the advertised price, they sell you a ticket and provide a glass of wine and a small cheese and salami platter – or in our case a cheese and honey platter. This was a very civilised way to spend the 30 mins before the concert. Then into the church where Puccini was baptised for an hour of arias from Puccini and Mozart, delivered by a pretty talented bass and soprano and accompanied by a lovely pianist. There wasn't a very big audience, so it felt very intimate. They warmed up as they got into it, and the applause grew more and more enthusiastic. In the end they repeated their closing duet for us – “La ci darem la mano” - where Don Giovanni sets about seducing Zerlina.

Home for an illegal bout of food preparation, then diary writing and bed.


22 June Albergo Diana, Lucca

We planned another picnic breakfast, but had to change rooms because we needed another night and they needed our room for three. After re-installing ourselves we had breakfast in our new room, and caught up with diary, photos and blog.

Then we packed part of a picnic lunch and went to climb the Tower Guignini – it's the one in the photos with trees growing out of the top of it. The views were gorgeous and Phil coped with the height.

A few more provisions, lunch on the wall, and then shopping for presents.

Back home to send some emails, and then a flying visit to the supermarket (for breakfast and lunch for the train to Rome tomorrow) just before it shut at 8pm.

After this we liberated the bikes and took them for an entire 4km circumnavigation of the walls as the sun was setting, joining other bikers, dog-walkers, just walkers and joggers .

Then we rode to a restaurant which was very pleasant inside and had good food which didn't really warrant the price.