Day 25: Bike Ride in Lucca

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Friday, July 15, 2011

Early Morning Photos
This morning I rose early to take photos of the statues by the Uffizi. I hadn’t taken any photos of the statues on the day I went to the gallery, and by the afternoon the piazza was filled with people. The morning was my best way to get up close without fighting the crowds. There was actually a sign that said “no photo” by these statues, but I don’t know how you can police people when the statue is outside. There were in fact two policemen in the square, watching me as I snapped my camera. They didn’t say anything. I think they were there to make sure I did not attack any of the statues.

The one piece I really wanted to see was right up front, Perseus with the head of Medusa. It’s bronze, while all the other surrounding statues are marble, making it really stand out. Perseus looks as disgusted as he is triumphant, standing over the body of Medusa and holding her head up. The other statue I wanted to see was the copy of “Rape of the Sabians.” It was completely shielded by a wall of scaffolding and curtains. I had no idea it was necessary to restore copies of famous statues, too.

I strolled around some, with the streets to myself. The sun was just coming up and the light was poor, so I didn’t get any great photos. But I enjoyed the quiet morning, then returned to the hostel for a glorious nap.

Lucca of Bust
Today was a scheduled free day on my itinerary, and I was determined to get to Lucca. I boarded the slow train, which took nearly two hours to get to the town, but it was good to have a lazy day. When the train arrived, I followed the path which led me to an underground passage way into the old city. I emerged on top of the ramparts which completely encircle the town. It was fantastic. The views weren’t much, but it was quiet and the parks were shaded by big trees.

The Best Sandwich and the Best Bike Ride Ever
I picked up a simple sandwich for lunch and rented a bike from a nearby vendor. The phrase “it’s just like riding a bike” really rang true for me. It’s sad to say, but I think it’s been something like ten years since I’ve been on a bike, and it was the easiest thing to get on one again and start riding. I found a shady picnic bench and dive into my sandwich. It was phenomenal – the first sandwich I’ve had in Italy with mayonnaise. The bread was moist and the fillings were in perfect proportion, it was great.

Then I was ready for my bike ride around the 2.5 miles of the old city wall, in a skirt. In Bolzano, there were lots of women riding their bikes in skirts and they were completely modest. Plus I had worn my shorts yesterday, thinking I was going to Lucca from Pisa. So I biked in my skirt. It probably would have worked perfectly had there not been a breeze. I always welcome a breeze as a welcome relief from the afternoon heat, but on this occasion it was not welcome. Most of the time I biked when no one was around and coasted with my legs together if I passed someone. It worked pretty well and I think only a few people got extra special views. With or without the skirt, it was one of the most fun things I’ve done on this trip.

Quick Stroll Through Town
Lucca has some sites, but not enough to make me pay admission for any one thing in particular. Instead, I strolled through town, watched a couple play street instruments for coins, and moseyed to the (free) cathedral of San Martino. The interior was almost completely covered in scaffolding, but the exterior was an architect’s nightmare. A bell tower was already in existence when they built the cathedral, and the front facade would have cut into the bell tower. So instead, they shortened the façade on one side. The exterior decorations were fun, with columns of mismatching patterns throughout.

Happy Hour and Dinner
I returned to the hostel in time for the nightly happy hour, with free snacks and bubbly red wine (like cheap red wine mixed with sprite). I liked it anyway. I ended up chatting with a girl from Taiwan who was studying in Germany for her doctorate in neuroscience. It made my construction management degree seem pretty primitive. We decided to meet up later in the evening for dinner.

Shuwen and I wandered toward the central market and picked a lively looking restaurant. We shared a plate of Tuscan fried chicken (fried lemon chicken pieces), risotto made with champagne and a half liter of red wine. It was a delicious meal. We talked about our educations, the differences of lifestyles between the US and Taiwan, national and cultural holidays, and food. Shuwen was a wonderful dinner partner.

I spent the rest of the evening packing up my bags so I could sneak out in the morning for my early train.

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Photos

"Jewelry" bridge
It has a name. but all I saw when the shops were open was jewelry