Lucca: A Weekend in Tuscany

An update has been long overdue, but we have only been home one weekend in the last month, and we had friends in town from Norway. Fortunately, I can retroactively date posts, therefore; know that plenty of travel tales await when I find the time to write. Last October, my parents, Julie, and I visited Firenze during a week's vacation throughout Italy; Roma and Venezia completing the trip's trifecta of cities. Our group split up on the second day in Florence, we went to the Uffizi and climbed countless stairs at Piazza del Duomo while my parents took the train to Lucca - birthplace of my paternal grandfather. After hearing about my parent's wonderful experience, we made sure to visit the next time we traveled to Italy. With an ambitious plan for a long weekend, we set-up base in Lucca, with planned trips to Cinque Terre and Pisa.

Porta Elisa

On top of the wall

Facade of San Michele in Foro

Altar of San Michele in Foro

Our active venture had us slated to see seven cities in the span of four days - not entirely crazy for us, but given Julie's limited time off (another story) we are forced to blitz cities on vacations. In Florence, Tuscany's charm is drowned out by the sea of tourists, however, within ten minutes of our arrival to Lucca - we knew we found that picturesque Italian village. To enter the old city center, we walked through the famed fortress walls of Lucca - which have since been been re-purposed as a civilian promenade. Having arrived late in the afternoon, we used the remaining part of the day to aimlessly explore the streets and squares. During a leisurely stroll, we passed some of the city's attractions: Duomo di San Martino, San Michele in Foro, Puccini's house, and Torre Guinigi.

Madonna salutis portus by Matteo Civitali

Chiesa di San Michele in Foro

Giacomo Puccini statue and house

We found ourselves at a peculiar time, too early for Italian restaurants and too late to explore most of the sites. To bridge the gap to dinner, we found a local barber for some much needed grooming - my last haircut being a Turkish shave in Istanbul. Despite our struggles with the language barrier, we can highly recommend a barber/salon if by chance anyone finds themselves in need of a trim while visiting Lucca. Restaurants were just opening their doors as we left, two of which I had previously highlighted. The first option looked promising, only three of the thirty tables were occupied, however; we were turned away because we didn't have a reservation.

Duomo di San Martino

Alley leading to Torre Guinigi

Piazza Antelminelli

Proceeding to the next restaurant, we arrived ten minutes before it opened - our stomachs churned with optimism. Assuming the door was locked, we sat on a stoop across the way and waited. Then we saw a woman waltz inside, making us feel foolish not realizing the door was open the entire time. Unfortunately, we were greeted with more bad news as all the tables were reserved (eleven in total) and had no room for walk-in grazers. To our surprise, the woman entering before us informed the service team that we were her friends and would be dining with her.

Piazza San Martino

Piazza Antelminelli

Inside Lucca Cathedral

San Martino

Light from stained glass

Excavation under San Giovanni

Our new friend, Laura, was dining at Ristorante La Norma for her third consecutive night and her familiarity with the staff paid dividends. She spent the time to translate the menu for us and spoke highly of the meals she had during the previous nights. At one point, the chef came out to speak with Laura as if they were decades-old friends - along with some complementary appetizers. Everything we ordered was meticulously prepared and savagely devoured. By the end of the night it was abundantly clear, this had been our best dining experience since moving to Europe. We made a new friend who graciously invited two strangers to dine with her, not to mention (but really mention) the food was exceptional. We returned the next night following our visit to the Cinque Terre in hopes of running into Laura again, however, she had returned home to a town near Milan.

Dancing baby and bearded man laughing

Another alley

Torre Guinigi seen from the wall promenade

On our third day in Tuscany, we had the opportunity to fully explore Lucca. To start the morning, we rented bikes and pedaled along Passeggiata delle Mura, the path along the city's walls. After riding along the wall, we biked downtown and started our tour at Duomo di San Martino, where Julie was demanded to convert or leave the church - well, not really, but her exposed shoulders displeased the staff. However, the issue went unnoticed in our visits to the next couple of churches; San Michele in Foro, San Giovani, and San Pietro Somaldi. Continuing into the depths of the old town, we toured Palazzo Pfanner.

Passeggiata delle Mura

Entering Palazzo Pfanner

Residence of Palazzo Pfanner

Garden

When we completed the first loop of the wall, we saw a beautiful garden near the north side of the city. As we approached the second pass of the Mura, we took a path down towards the gardens to garner a better view. There was a nominal admission fee, but we used the time to tour the residence and relaxed to the sight and scent of the tranquil landscape. From the Palazzo Pfanner, we made our way to the Torre Guinigi, the tower with a hanging garden on the roof. We enjoyed the panoramic views of the Tuscan hillsides surrounding Lucca and spotted our next destination, Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, site of a former Roman Amphitheater. Now, a collection of cafes and various stores line the elliptical Piazza. Our time in Lucca was near its end, but we had just enough time to absorb the lively atmosphere. After returning our bikes, we gathered our luggage and made our way to the train station - next stop, Pisa.