Lazy Sunday Mornings in Lucca

There's just so much to see and do in here that I'm constantly seeking out new places to visit.  Somewhere in all these towns and places visited, I've neglected posting about Lucca more--the one place I spend at least part of every day.  After a pretty busy week that included a wine festival and finally hiking Cinque Terre, I opted for another lazy Sunday morning in Lucca.  It's the kind of town that is made for lazy Sunday mornings.  

Of course, my favorite time in Lucca is early morning...I love to bike on the wall early before the crowds are up and then walk through town as the cafes begin to open.  

This little one is la bicicletta that gets me to and fro.  I've become a good friends with her despite the fact that she doesn't have gears and makes me stand up to pedal up hills.  Do you remember summertime bike races and pedaling while standing up as a kid?  It was much easier as a child for sure.

And this is Lucca's famous wall.  I think I mentioned in a former post that Lucca's old town/center is completely encircled by a wall.  It's not just any wall either, this one's a super wide wall with parks, picnic areas, tables, benches and a big biking/walking path.  It's really more of a town park than just a regular 'ole 4km long wall. 

Any time of the day you can find runners, walkers and bicyclists up here.  Lucca has bike rental places galore which makes this popular with locals and tourists.   I will say that I still struggle with the lack of rules when it comes to walking here...there is no walk on the right--pass on the left, or take only half of the walkway, or any other rules.  If there's a crowd of 5 people walking together, they will walk 5 people across and will not necessarily move for you or your bicycle.  Aside from relearning the art of pedaling while standing, I'm still working on the craft of balancing on a bike while traveling 0 miles per hour, waiting for a gap in the path.   Interestingly though, once you are on the street with your bike, you suddenly have a bit more clout--I still hesitate in traffic circles wondering if that ginormous delivery truck really is going to stop and yield to the bike already in the traffic circle and so far they have.  Lucky for me. 

Obviously the views from the wall as you are circling the city are pretty fun....Cattedrale di San Martino from the back.  

Learning to ride la biciclette in a dress or skirt is essential in Italy. Check.  I didn't bring heels or I'd try that next.

The third weekend of each month, Lucca hosts the second oldest flea market. I was able to visit a few Sundays ago after my morning bike ride around the wall--it really draws a crowd.

This morning there was a small craft fair near Piazza St. Michele and, well, another little event. 

I've often thought that being here sometimes feels a bit like being in a WWII film as the buildings and countryside are timeless.  In light of having this thought rather frequently, you can imagine my surprise and millisecond of panic when I  walked around a large crowd of people and saw this...

This week was the anniversary of the Lucca's Liberation during WWII.   As you already know, Italy formed part of the Axis during WWII but this resulted in a civil war within Italy ending in Mussolini being deposed by his people.  The Nazis and Mussolini's remaining supporters/troops were obviously not thrilled about this turn of events and fought hard to retain Italy.  Sept 5th marks the anniversary of the day that the Allies entered Lucca.  

My WWI and WWII knowledge is a bit lacking and so I learned something new today.  Sadly, during WWI and WWII, the US segregated military divisions.  The 92nd Infantry Division (Buffalo Soldiers) was one of the African American units--one of the few that saw combat action during WWII.  It was this unit, fighting with Allied forces and the Italian Resistance, that liberated Lucca.  It was pretty awesome to be able to view this living memorial in person.  

After a little biking, walking and history lesson, Piazza Napoleone is the perfect place to sit with a cappuccino and pastry and take notes from passersby on how to ride a bike gracefully and effortlessly in a skirt.  As you can see, it does not involve standing and pedaling full speed ahead like a 6 year old boy.