A Stop In Lucca

Our Florence visit ended with a great family dinner Saturday night at our favorite Antico Ristoro di Cambi, devouring nearly 4kg of bifstecca fiorentina among the 5 of us. It was so good, as Rebecca said, we were too busy eating to take any pictures. Next morning, I picked up Penelope and brought her to the camper. Our plan was to have her for a week, visiting Lucca, Pisa, Padua, and Venice, while her parents toured more of Tuscany in a rental car. First stop for us, en route to Pisa, was the walled city of Lucca, which we had enjoyed on a previous visit (http://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2011/06/lucca.html).

Lucca wall

Penelope weighing in; she'd never seen a coin-op scale

Rorschach test: Vicki saw this as a Macbeth poster alluding
to Game of Thrones; I saw it as a Macbeth poster designed by
Jack the Dripper (Jackson Pollack)

Walking Lucca's walls, an experience we wanted P to have; the rain was not part
of the plan

Lucca lions adorning the wall

At length we got to a ramp that led us to the cathedral; note funny faces

Among the notable features of this old building are its facade columns, no two
of which are alike; it's like they were members of the column-of-the-month club

P and me at the sign of the pilgrim's maze

Beware of serpents

More funny features among the intricate carvings

"Never call me 'side-saddle sissy' again!"

Helpful toy model of Lucca in the gift shoppe; sort of a star fort

Le piogge di aprile portano i fiori di maggio

Peaking in at the dome atop an art nouveau bank (it was Sunday)

Just a few blocks on, another big church with funny columns

Thus

At last we are at the major sight for me, the Piazza Anfiteatro, a big square
where the 2nd century Roman amphitheater once stood

Inside, a market; note curvature of buildings

Attempted pano showing curvature of the universe

Lucca's other major sight, the Torre Guinigi, with its roof-
top forest