Buon giorno!
Above are our good friends, Loverci and Sergio, who live in Reggio nell Emilia, and who picked us up at the airport in Genoa. Upon our arrival, they greeted us with big hugs and tiny, little panettones!
From Genoa we drove to Pisa and hung out for a bit, walking along the Arno River toward the famous leaning tower.
The tower really is impressively slanted! Photos don't do justice. Everyone, including us, was trying to photograph the illusion that we were holding up the tower. So silly. But truly it is a majestic sight and we were taken aback by the grand church that is built beside it.
Above is another lovely piazza in Piza, the weathered building awash with late afternoon Tuscan sun. It was a glorious day.
The following morning, after spending a night in a quaint airbnb apartment in Lucca, (smartly decorated with ikea furnishings), we had another sun filled, if somewhat chilly, day, walking about the old town with our friends. We visited the main cathedral which has been mainly restored and houses many oil paintings in addition to fine examples of medieval carving and sculptural work.
Another interesting place in Lucca is what was formerly a Roman Amphitheatre. The residents of Lucca eventually claimed the space "under the bleachers" and built homes and businesses there...and built up but left the "stage" open as a piazza. The original outer wall is still largely intact.
Lucca is a pleasant and restful town with picturesque vistas everywhere you look. Lots of history and tons of chic boutique shops too!
The photo above shows the bike path and pedestrian walkway that is the current use of the top of the high city wall, originally built to fortify and protect Lucca.
We abandoned the diet altogether and, yes, we each ate our own pizza...NO leftovers for a cold pizza breakfast! It was a highly satisfying end to a long and welcome travel day!
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