First impressions of Lucca were underwhelming. Claudia had sent us a text directing us to Piazza S. Maria which was a tiny bit manic, but we managed to stalk locals armed with shopping bags and eventually sourced a park. After we transferred our luggage to the apartment we were then shown to the free parking area outside the walls and from there we made our way back through the sortita- a passageway through the baluardo (bastion). A magical introduction to the famous walled city.

Serendipitously we happened to arrive the day before the Luminare di Sant Croce, the most important evening in Lucca. Every year on the evening of the 13th September the streets of Lucca are adorned with thousands of candles (electric now) and a procession of religious and civil dignitaries as well as a cavalcade of people dressed in traditional costumes proceed from the church to the cathedral celebrating the legendary Volta Santo crucifix. The procession begins and ends with a mass and followed by midnight fireworks. Claudia, our host advised us, once parked not to move our car as the town would be exceedingly crowded for the festival. We were to discover much later that the festival goes for the month of September.

The medieval costumes were amazing and the flag throwers too. It felt really special to witness this annual event. 

We explored. Our apartment was adjacent to the ancient towers which heralded the beginning of Via Fillungo, the cobbled street that wound its way through the heart of the ancient city. The main square, Anfiteatro, was built on the site of an ancient Roman amphitheatre and was more elliptical than square. 

The city dates from the Renaissance Period and has many well-preserved buildings indicative of the age. We wandered and found ourselves in the Piazza San Michele where there was a wine tasting event. Here we met Gemma and Rebecca from the UK and we settled in very comfortably with good wine and good company.

Almost five kilometres around, Lucca’s walls are perfect for walking and cycling. Twelve meters high and twenty-five meters wide, the walls offer a beautiful vantage point for looking at Lucca from across the rooftops and beyond the walls to the majestic hills surrounding the plains of Lucca.

Along the tree lined walls are cafes, gelato carts, picnic areas and playgrounds. We hired bikes from Boobo who ran one of the many cycle-hire outlets around the city. It was a delightful outing.

We left early Sunday to drive to the coast and arrived just in time for coffee. The promenade at Viareggio stretches for about two kilometres and is studded with Art Nouveau buildings, renowned restaurants and cafes and shops and boutiques of all kinds. The city is famous for Carnivale which is held from January to March. John had researched and we found Gran Caffè Margherita – a café, restaurant, bar and bookshop all incorporated into this magnificent 1902 building. To add to our delight, was our waiter, a local who had spent four years in Australia with his then girlfriend and now wife and mother to his child.  

We were driving back to Lucca when John spotted a sign for Pietrasanta. He had read about it being a delightful town. A diversion. It was late for lunch but staff at Locondo del Gusto were quite amenable to our needs. We enjoyed great food and a wonderful bottle of Rosato.  

And then we returned! OMG the traffic! The crowds!! Lucca was insane. There was a fair with rides, thousands of market stalls and apparently all sorts of entertainment in the walled city! It took some time, but we eventually found a park in the general vicinity. While Claudia had warned us Lucca would be crowded for the festival and not to move our car, she failed to tell us that it would be every weekend for the month of September!!

Lucca is filled with surprises. There is much more to this incredible city than one first suspects. Five nights was a great decision.