Puccini's birthplace: A time to stretch the legs and take in the sights -- June 28, 2016
Lucca is really a city within a fortress. The famous florentine Medici family used Lucca as their personal bank. Thus, the wall was built for security, although no one ever attempted to invade such a powerful family's claim. The wall is wide enough that it now hosts a path for bicyclists and walkers/runners. We chose to stroll the perimeter and explore the small shops that lovely day; and we HAD to try the local gelato again, of course! (As we did daily, wherever we were.)
Lunch was al fresco (outdoors) in the repurposed amphitheater, where we continued to try a little bit of every "traditional Italian food" we could get our hands on. Bruschetta, shown here, was a common meal-starter.
It's easy to see where Lucca's native son Puccini drew his inspiration to compose such timeless operas. We took a break for a group photo with our guide on the piazzo (plaza) of Lucca -- what a good looking group of travelers!
And we continue on... next stop, Levanto (and the Cinque Terra region!)