Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Lucca

The City Gate














The Promenade on top of the City Wall














The Antique Market



































(Not to be confused with Luca, the bartender)

Lucca is a small town outside of Florence, in Tuscany, that you can get to by train in 1 ½ hours or less. Lucca is enclosed by massive red brick walls which help to give the city its special character by shutting out traffic and the modern world. It was built in 1504-1645. The walls are among the best-preserved REnaissance defenses in Europe. Unlike many of Tuscany’s hilltop towns, Lucca is flat. Many locals use bicycles which adds to the charm.

When I arrived, I walked across the street from the train station into and through the city walls. It was like going through a time machine into another world. Giacomo Puccini was born in Lucca and the house where he lives still stands there. There is a promenade along the top of the city wall. It is a beautiful walk with fine views of Lucca. The architecture in Lucca is primarily from the Romanesque period.

This weekend there was an antique market going on in the streets of Lucca. There were vendors for glass, chandeliers, furniture, jewelry, books, marble statues, and food. Since Lucca is only 10 miles from the sea, seafood is considered "fresh" here while the 3 hours it take to get it to Florence, it is not. That being said, I took the opportunity to have a wonderful fresh seafood salad for lunch, drink some wine, and take in the scenes.

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