Friday, July 9, 2010

Lucca Italy Torre Guinigi

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

I recently revisited Lucca, Italy, with some friends. Lucca is a small city in which the old town still features the original wall circling and protecting the city. They have made the top of the wall into a lovely walking and bike path, lined with trees and often, breezes.

During lunch, I got to see my favorite fountain there, of which I made a painting in 2004.

This time around I got to take in the views from the Torre Guinigi, a tower with lovely trees on the top. It is an easy climb up the stairs to a shady loft overlooking the city. I hope you enjoy the views. At this writing, the tower is open from 9:30 am to 7:30 p.m., with the last entrance time just after 7 p.m. The price is 3,50 € per person, with reduced prices for kids, students, those with more than 65 years, and groups.

Lucca also sports a great concert series in the summer, with big names in a variety of music styles. Lucca, Italy, in the heart of Tuscany, makes a great day trip from either the Tuscan coast (think cruise line drop-off points) or Florence.