Eurotrip2011: Day 46

Florence - Lucca

It was a quiet start to our last morning in Florence. We ditched the rather average breakfast spread provided by our B&B and instead headed to a nearby café for a cup of coffee and a savoury pastry. A quick cab ride, followed by a 90 minute train trip transported us to the picturesque town of Lucca. The intact Renaissance era walls that surround the city provide an historic "frame" for a truly beautiful town. 

Once our bags were in the safe hands of hotel staff, we set off to one of the numerous bike rental shops and were thrilled to hire two side-by-side tandem bikes. These rather silly looking contraptions could only be ridden atop the city walls - an activity which we felt could provide us with a good orientation of the town. During our ride, I realised just how charming and peaceful this small Tuscan city is. Take a look for yourself:

Our ride culminated in the procurement of gelati from a bike riding vendor (gotta love a town that gets behind cyclists!). This sweet treat served as an excellent apéritif, as we then headed into town for lunch - a bottle of local wine and pasta (I opted for fusilli with bacon and zucchini flowers), followed by a coffee and tiramisu (with dried fruit...I know - total revelation, right?!).   

As the day continued, I could feel the first symptoms of a cold coming on. As such, my beloved and I headed back to our hotel for a quick afternoon siesta and then enjoyed a two hour stroll around central Lucca. During our walk, we stumbled across a bustling pizza joint, where we later returned to collect dinner. We ordered a couple of large pizzas to take away (and boy, were they large!). Our picnic feast was enjoyed atop the town walls - a delightful (and delicious!) way to end our very short visit to this lovely part of the world.