Wednesday, April 10 & Thursday, April 11, 2019

A relaxing day in Lucca involves a bike ride on the walls.

We rented a comfortable two-seater on Via Bacchettoni (wonderful service at Mercantino Rent Bike) and took the ramp to the walls. The steady climb was a bit of a workout, but we caught our breath when we reached flatter grounds. The rest was super fun 😀😀😀 We got many smiles from pedestrians and cyclists alike, as we kept pedaling while avoiding small children and dogs… The sound of the horn reminded me of some old cars of the ’50s, and Raymond surely had fun with it!

Even though there are two steering wheels, only the driver has control of the vehicle. We were told it was a safety feature, should the wife decide to go one direction and the husband, another… very funny! 🤣🤣🤣

Our discovery of the day was the Casa del Buoia (house of the executioner), a very interesting and informative multimedia centre dedicated to the pilgrim road known as the Via Francigena, connecting Canterbury to Rome, a 1,700 km stretch. Starting in England, the path goes through France, Switzerland and reaches Italy through the Alpes. Tempting? You bet… but these old bones might object!

To read all about Via Francigena, visit www.viefrancigene.org

Our new culinary delight: the Buccellato di Lucca. This dessert bread is a specialty of Lucca, and is to die for! Made as a loaf or a ring, it has lots of Sultana raisins and anise seeds. It is not overly sweet and its crunchy top is glazed with a mixture of sugar and egg. Combined with an espresso or macchiato is just too delicious…

And last, but not least… music, dancing, and gelato… the perfect combination to end the day!

Salve,

Anna