Another Fabulous Day in Tuscany

As you can see from my morning view, we awoke to brilliant skies today as we began our second day in Tuscany. 

After some breakfast, we loaded up into the tour bus, and we were escorted to the village of Lucca.

There we met our energetic and enthusiastic guide, Anna,  who was truly a delight!  She had an uncanny way of explaining the hundreds of years of history in such an entertaining way that certainly kept me captivated! 

We entered through the Porta Santa Maria

where we found ourselves inside the walls that overlook the village. 

The perimeter is about 2 and a 1/2 miles long, and there is a path completely along the edge if one chooses to take the time to bike or walk along it.  We did not.

Overlooking the village, one can see rooftops

and a peek at some gardens.

and a nearby beautiful bell tower which Anna felt necessary to point out is standing straight and tall. 

(Unlike one in a nearby village that leans.)  She was, of course, referring to Pisa, and I sensed some local competition between Lucca and Pisa as she referenced comparisons on several occasions, with Lucca being the obvious favorite in her eyes.  This was all done in jest, of course, and certainly added to the entertainment of the tour. 

Once we entered into the village, I immediately recognized the church that my friend, Morena, and I had sought out in 2007 when we were on the RSYO tour with Amy.  St. Zita, a named "incorruptible",  lies behind glass under the altar.  I recall being quite shocked when Morena and I finally found her.  We had both naively expected to find a body in a much better state than what we discovered. I smiled at the memory but didn't feel the need to pay the 3 € required for entrance to see if her condition had changed. 

But, Marty and I did take a photo for the memory!

Our group then moved into the central square

and ambled along many of the side streets running through the village while Anna highlighted places of interest. We stopped in the plaza of St. Michael to take a quick look inside the Cathedral that bears the same name.  

The interior holds a 12th century cross hanging above the altar.  Anna pointed out particular features, but they really aren't visible in my photo. 

Another thing not visible (because I deliberately cropped it),  is the glass case beneath the altar that holds the "incorruptible" remains of St. Divino Armeno.  

I had never heard of this saint, and was actually quite surprised to learn that there was a second incorruptible body in the same village. Wait until Morena finds out that we missed this one!

Moving on, we came to the statue of the composer Puccini who hailed Lucca as his home.  The town has a strong connection to the arts because of his influence. 

By now, our tour was complete, and we were given two hours to just walk around and enjoy the many little alleyways of the city.  There were so many architectural structures to admire. 

The size of this door seemed quite amazing.

One of our touring partners, who is traveling solo, decided to join us for our walk.  He certainly is quite a source of entertainment, and I can honestly say that he has added quite a level of fun to our Italian adventure!  He posed with me for a photo.

Then, he took Marty and my photo with the interesting tower behind us. 

That tower, also featured below, was built in the 15th century by a wealthy Lucca family.  One can climb 210 steps to the top to admire a view over the countryside, but I certainly wasn't going to tempt fate by trying that!

We stopped at a cafe and tried some of the local Focaccia for lunch.  It was fabulous! And, then we just sat and relaxed for a few minutes before heading over to St. Michael Piazza to meet up with the group. 

It was time to reboard the bus,  where we traveled a short distance to Borgo a Mozzano to admire the Magdalene Bridge. 

Anna referred to it as the Devil Bridge due to a local legend.   It was believed that St. Julian was responsible for building the bridge, but when it appeared that he would not finish, he asked the Devil to help him.  In exchange, he would offer the soul of the first living being to cross over. 

The devil assisted, but upon completion, St. Julian threw a piece of bread over the bridge, attracting a dog, who was technically the first being over the bridge.   So, the Devil was duped.  

And, it seems to me, that there is no connection between the bridge and the name, but you certainly have to appreciate a good folk lore story! 

We were able to walk to the top and get a photo.

It was very steep going back down, but I took my time to ensure my footing.  I should mention here that there were several bridges constructed this way along the river, but this is the only one that survived bombing by the Germans during World War II. 

From here, we traveled to the Remembrance Museum, named appropriately as it holds quite a number of items salvaged from World War II in the nearby area. The local council is determined to keep the memory of the tragedies alive for future generations.  I have chosen not to share any photos of the holdings, as they are typical of what one would find in a museum devoted to the subject.  But rest assured that the stories told are worth hearing (and reading), so that one can appreciate what the citizens of this small town endured during the German occupation. 

From here, we were able to walk into the bunker, which is built into stone, but actually quite large inside. 

A map outside outlined the Gothic Line that was held by the Germans.

25 men could easily fit inside the bunker, and the Germans manned it for several years.  

Anna told stories about her own grandmother and the difficulties that she faced trying to keep her five children fed.  But, she did endure, as did many of the people of the village.  The locals are intent on keeping the memory alive, so that those who did not survive, will be remembered for their sacrifice. 

I certainly appreciated learning a lot of the details as it helped me to understand some of the dynamics behind certain World War II American units who had liberated this area.

Once out of the bunker, we headed by bus to a local winery and olive farm where we were in for a real treat.

We were given several samples of wine to taste while being introduced to various charcuterie items.  One thing of interest was that they served us brown bread that was made from chestnuts.  Something new for me, and it was quite tasty, particularly dipped in the olive oil. 

Our adventure now over, we headed back to Montecatini Terme where, after a brief break, we met up with two of our original tour couples for dinner in a nearby restaurant.  It was apparently known for its Sushi, but none of us chose that option.  After all, we are in Italy!

Once again, we finished our day, enjoying each other's company while feasting on the local specialties. 

 

Perfect!

Until next time....