Lucca, Toscana

Tuscany has my heart although I imagine that everyone who makes their way to Lucca probably feels this way. It's one part medieval mecca, another part culinary delight. Throw in ample opportunities to sit in a piazza in April and sun yourself and you just can't lose. 

We made our way to the tiny but charming B&B La Romea and were greeted with an ancient property updated into five-bedrooms of very affordable bliss smack in the middle of the city. The owners, Gaia and Guilio, were helpful in responding to our questions and offering advice about our home away from home. Later in the week we caught Giulio having a little passeggiata, snacking on bread he pulled out of a pocket and smiling to himself as he strolled. Thus, despite Lucca being very much on the tourist trail, a whole host of locals love this little city as much as we did. 

The narrow streets of the city leave it to be best explored on foot. The daytime saw lots of day trippers head into the city only to leave on their way to Pisa, San Gimignano or other wine-able towns further afield. Sunday is a day of rest in Italy and so most things were closed; even the day trippers stayed away and we got to enjoy a true pause in our busy travels.

Tucked away from the main centre is the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, a public square built by the Romans in the traditional shape of a Roman amphitheatre (hence the name). The streets surrounding it all slope inwards waiting to reveal the goodness in the middle. 

This was perhaps one of the more touristed parts of the city and so we ambled through, took some photos and made our way to less frequented parts of the city. 

Smack on the opposite side of town, a fairly short walk away, the Duomo di San Martino does its churchy thing. 

We happened to be in Lucca on the Sunday after Easter, which holds a special reverence for the local people. It's a day where Luccans celebrate their liberation from Pisa, an event that dates back to 1369, way before the Italian state even existed. The emancipation was bloodless and involved large sums of money changing hands. But the locals celebrate with lots of drums, flags and fabulous costumes. 

From here, the central piazza is a short wander away. San Michele in Foro lies smack in the middle and we sat and watched a host of student musicians busk their way around the square. 

The further afield you head, the wider the streets become and the more the trees peek through. April really is a beautiful time to be here.

Cycling the City Walls 

The town of Lucca is surrounded by renaissance-era walls, built as defensive ramparts, that, over the years everyone thought were a good idea to keep. We approved. The walls take you 4.2km (the second longest city walls in Europe, next to Nicosia in Cyprus) around the city and offer expansive views of the Tuscan hills on one side and the ancient city on the other. Hiring a bike is cheap and there are plenty of businesses that will happily help you part with your money. Once on the walls there's plenty of space to ride at your own pace, stop for a viewpoint, picnic, coffee or gelato. 

Food 

And because all that cycling will make a person hungry, we made our way to one of the many outdoor tables back in Lucca proper. Pizza, pasta, prosciutto, whatever takes your fancy is most findable here.

What's not to love?