Tuscany
During our stay in Lucca we hired bikes and rode around the elevated walkway and cycle paths that form the top of the wall of the old city before following the scenic Serchio River through the Tuscan countryside. Lucca is the birthplace of Giacomo Puccini and in a church within the old part of the city we listened to songs from many of his most famous operas including Madame Butterfly and Tosca. There are many good restaurants and Gelatos to savour your favourite ice creams.
Having spent two nights in Lucca, we took a train for about an hour to Florence (or Firenze in Italian). Florence is spectacular and no wonder it appears on many people’s top cities to visit. The Duomo Cathedral dominates the skyline and it’s incredible that it was built over 600 years ago. The city is packed with amazing sculptures and I would recommend visiting the Palazzo Vecchio which is Florence city hall as just next to it is Loggia Dei Lanzi which displays for free some of the best sculptures. In addition at the Galleria Dell Accademia is the sculpture of David by Michelangelo which is well worth seeing. Other famous places to visit include the Uffizi Gallery and the Ponte Vecchio the beautiful medieval bridge that spans the Arno River. A Tuscan tradition is aperitivos where you sample different foods and wines in the variety of restaurants and bars.
Our final visit on our trip was to Pisa to witness the Leaning Tower and the beautiful cathedral on the same site before catching our flight home. I loved this trip and would highly recommend it.