After leaving the hill towns behind, we made our way to the walled town of Lucca. We checked into our hotel and regrouped for an orientation walk. On our walk, we passed by Church of San Michele. The church is topped by a statue of the archangel Michael whose wings can be flapped from behind. Imagine being a pilgrim and coming upon the church to then see the wings move. Must have been quite a wonderment.
Next, we visited the statue of Puccini outside his birth house before returning to the hotel for a welcome cocktail. We were then free for dinner, which I enjoyed with some fellow tour members followed by gelato for dessert. Click pictures below to enlarge. |
After our walking tour, we headed to the bus and out of town to a nearby olive oil producer. Here we were treated to an olive oil tasting followed by a wonderful lunch. We toured the small factory where they produce the olive oil and learned about the difference in the types of olive oil. I purchased a lovely tin of oil to bring back and it is absolutely wonderful. The olives used here come from a co-op of different groves in the area. We did also have a bit of excitement when a large swarm of bees decided to join us on our visit. Luckily, they were only interested in the outside and no one was harmed. The owner said that they would move the queen to some nearby hives at a later time.
Once we finished with our visit to La Visona, we returned to Lucca and had the rest of the afternoon free. I used the time for some shopping (fine Italian leather goods) and of course, gelato. Click the pictures below to enlarge. |