Discovering Lucca and Viareggio
We took a public bus directly to Lucca from Florence, walked to the Information Office and asked them to help find a hotel for three nights. They found a beautiful hotel (that would ordinarily be too expensive for us) at a low rate because of all the 9/11 cancellations. The hotel, Palazzo Alexander is in the center of Lucca's historic district, inside the old walls. The hotel dates from the 12th century and the decor reflects Lucchese style with antique wood floors, marble. An elegant room, and sumptuous breakfast was included.
Thick, 16th century walls surround Lucca for a distance of (approximately) 3 km, and you can walk or bike along the top of the entire perimeter! The walls are tree-lined on the top, very wide and have great views of the old city.
The other main point of interest is the Roman Amphitheatre (Piazza dell 'Anfiteatro), built in the 1st century A.D. It was destroyed during the Barbarian invasions, and a good part of the material was used in building homes and churches bordering the Piazza.
Lucca map
Giacomo Puccini was born December 22, 1858 in Lucca, and spent most of his childhood and youth here. Teatro Del Giglio, is Lucca's Opera House, built in 1675 on the remains of an ancient convent. It is a typical Italian-style theatre, with four tiers of boxes, one above the other, including a Royal Box. The opera season runs from September to December. Since our visit was in October, we bought tickets to see La Fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West) by Puccini. The Opera House is quite small, jam-packed and an amazing experience to see a Puccini opera in the city of his birth.
Another day, we took public transportation to Viareggio on the sea. During the composition of Turandot, Puccini moved there. His home, at Torre del Lago, was turned into a museum after his wife's death. Viareggio is on the Tuscan coast, also known as the Versilian Riviera. The town has several districts including the port, shopping area and accommodations, mainly along the seafront and adjoining streets. There are many art deco buildings at the southern end of the promenade, grand hotels, and the Piazza Mazzini surrounded with palm trees and benches to rest on.
The entire area is very flat which makes biking a breeze. It was a beautiful place to spend the day, walking the promenade and people-watching.
Viareggio
Tip #1 - You must buy bus tickets before getting on the bus as they are not usually sold on the bus. Purchase in the bus station, tourist office or tobacco shop/bar. Then you must validate your ticket at the bus stop (or on the bus itself) using a little machine. IF you don't follow these instructions, be prepared for a major scolding in Italian...even if you are clueless as to what the driver is saying...you will still comprehend his shouting!
Tomorrow, our "Sherpa" walk begins....
