Italy 11 - Lucca, bamboos and butterflies

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Yesterday we needed the brolly to shelter us from the rain. Today it was needed to provide some welcome shade from the sweltering sun. Lucca is a graceful city set within its own walls. We had intended to walk the walls but there was little shade from the sun and we soon gave up heading for the Duomo San Michele in Foro. We were disappointed to find all the guides had gone for lunch and left the church closed. I did wonder if God had a siesta too. As we needed some shade we walked through the narrow streets to the Piazza Antiteatro a square surrounded by a ramshackle assortment of shops and cafes built on the foundations of the Roman ampitheatre.

My last climb of the day, on my own was to the top of the Torre Guinigi a tower with an unusual feature - a tree growing out of the top.

We then drove over to Colle di Val d'Elsa a little off the beaten track . It sits within its own walls and the upper town is really attractive. Not a mecca for visitors and we found it empty. There is only one main street to the town which runs from the walls and the main castle gates but this is lined with a nice collection of palazzos.

Our final trip of the day was back to Collodi where we visited the gardens of the Villa Garzoni. This garden is cut into the hillside and has a series of pools, water cascades, statues and steps. It looks good from a distance but close up found the statuary was quite crude. There was a good view of the town and the surrounding hillside from the top of the steps. A bamboo grove with bamboos of over 20 foot high was an interested feature hidden away behind the main gardens. We also stumbled upon a butterfly house in which we passed away the time admiring the colourful butterflies from round the world.

Meal again at the local pizza restaurant where we enjoyed the hospitality and the good food.

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Photos

Collodi
Villa Garzoni gardens