Days 32 & 33 – We’re keeping warm . . .

With afternoon temperatures holding up in the mid-twenties, Lucca warms us up in other ways too.

It starts from the moment we halt at the information board in front of the old town portcullis entrance. A friendly middle aged man approaches on bike. Pulls up. “Where you from? – Ah, English. You are welcome in Lucca”. Lets us know where the tourist information is situated. Bikes off.

By any stretch of the imagination we don’t consider ourselves lovers of opera. A couple of his operas, via live broadcast at The Regent Centre, enough to pique our interest. So our first afternoon in Lucca finds us searching out the Puccini Museum. His former birthplace and home. Positioned on one corner of a typical piazza – San Lorenzo Piazza.

We wonder if this genius of a man ever afforded himself the time to do just this – between composing and philandering . . .

Puccini – looking more like a crime-buster – at least we now know what he looked like!

A couple of caffe freddos and cream horns round our first afternoon off nicely. A young mum and toddler show up in front. They’ve come prepared. Well, mum has. Pockets laden with breadcrumbs. Her first scattering entices a half dozen pigeons. Mum’s forgotten to explain fully what’s going down. Before one beak gets to open, the two year old flies into action. Scatters the pigeons like a whirling dervish. Mum lets him have his fun. Doesn’t realise he’s hungry too. Too late. She blinks. Tiny hands cram tiny crumbs into a tiny mouth faster than she can say Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep.

Saturday 12th. A fifteen minute stroll. We’re back in Lucca. Still fully in tact, its 17th century ramparts provide our starter for ten. All four kilometers of them. We’re not alone. The locals use it extensively too. A safe and easy way to quickly navigate around to different parts of town. We do the same. Hop down. Hop up.

First hop down – Cattedrale di San Martino . . .

We cop sight of Torre Guinigi and its unusual topping. A mini copse of Holm Oak.

Hop two. We leg it to The Basilica of St Frediano. Dedicated to Fred a 6th century Irish Bishop, who instigated its first build. Improved and enlarged over the centuries it’s mighty impressive.

It houses another UK connection – the 8thC tomb of Wessex man ‘Richard the Pilgrim’

Hop three. Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Mansi. A sort of National Trust visit. Grand rooms and furniture with a bit of local art thrown in for good measure. All eyes on us. Follow our every move. All but one that is. Whose?

Hop four. Almost time to skip back to camp. But first. A twirl in the centre of what was once a huge Roman Amphitheatre – Piazza dell’Anfiteatro .

On leaving we spot two cars that epitomise Italian style . . .