Sat, June 29

Buon giorno Livorno – gateway to spectacular cities like Pisa and Florence. To be different we decided to go to Lucca which about an hour’s drive away from the port.

Tuscany, home to sunflowers, olive groves and Andrea Bocceli … we enjoyed the views of the gently rolling hills, quaint farmhouses and vineyards with a tantalising view of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in the distance.

No sooner had we gotten off the bus, than one of the group fell over – we were worried that he had damaged his ankle, but he got up and kept going so it was good to know he was OK. Later on I noticed that he put some ice inside his sock so it must have been a little sore (timely reminder that when you are approaching 80 years of age, resist the impulse to jump over puddles!)

Our guide took us on a walking tour of this ancient city, some beautiful walls and lookout towers are still in evidence surrounding it, and the church of San Michele in Foro dating back to the 12th century has stunning Romanesque architecture featuring four colonnaded levels of gleaming white marble inlaid with a menagerie of real and mythical animals. We also came across a marble cathedral, Lucca Duomo, as we made our way through the twisting narrow streets. Lovely little shops as well and the people very friendly.

We enjoyed our time exploring and ended the day in a cafe with a good Italian coffee and a cannoli, discussing our day and how much there is yet to see.

This was our third and final stop in Italy and we reluctantly said Ciao!