Chasing the Tide

Viareggio: Sabato, Febbraio 27
Day's Mileage: 8 miles















Look at all those palm trees! I love palm trees!














Lunch at Ristorante Da Aldo














I had a Prosciutto e Mozzarella Calzone























Some dogs playing at the beach. They were as excited as we were to be out there!














Laura and I running from the waves














Emily, Amy, Me, and Laura posing for a picture on the beach....














...then the waves came and caught us off guard!














Running around. We were like kids that day














Sinking our toes in the sand














Back in Lucca we saw some guys playing polo on bikes. An interesting use for the piazza.














Back in Lucca we had dinner at Trattoria Da Leo. I had a pasta (of some sort) with a red wine sauce and roast beef.

Piiiiiiiisssaa

Pisa: Sabato, Febbraio 27














All the buildings; the Baptistry, Cathedral, and the Tower. Interestingly enough, all the buildings are leaning a bit, not just the Tower, but the others just aren't as noticeable.




















You can't really go to the Pisa and not take some touristy 'Holding up the Leaning Tower' pics...




















Emily with everyone's cameras. She's quite the tourist...

































Just catching some reflection














A timeline of the construction history. It started sinking before they even finished it. It seems they could have used some structural engineers on this one (or at least done some soil testing!).




















A dome






































Some sculpture in the Cathedral














Looking through the rows of benches at Cattedrale.














We stopped for a pastry snack at Salza, in business since 1898. The one on the left is a thick chocolaty pudding type and the right is a lemony doughnut.














I'm pretty sure God painted this one.

"Move Into My Frame"

Lucca: Venerdi, Febbraio 26
Day's Mileage: 2 miles walking, 5 miles biking





















Arriving in Lucca. Look at that beautiful blue sky!




















The famous composer Giacomo Puccini grew up in Lucca. The building on the corner was his childhood home.




















Puccini is Tony's idol. On our very short tour he took us to this statue and said "I would like you to take my picture as I pose with my idol". And so he posed.

As part of the tour he informed us; "Ironically, he (Puccini) died a tragic death at a young age from cancer of the Larynx....hmm, I'll quit sometime" (Such a funny comment coming from Tony, a frequent, heavy smoker)














Tony 'conducting' the class in the Piazza Anfiteatro. As the name hints, this space used to be an amphitheater and now it exists with shops, restaurants, and apartments.














Our hostel 'Alla Dolce Vita' ('the Sweet Life'). It was more like a bed and breakfast minus the breakfast (so I guess that just leaves the bed...). It was a really quaint place with a big bathroom, decently comfy beds with down comforters, and an great location right off the corso.














Us girls riding bikes on top of the walls of Lucca. The trail is 4km. We went around twice!Technically we weren't supposed to ride bikes since they count as a vehicle and our insurance wouldn't cover it, but as Tony said "It's only illegal if you crash!..."














Emily and Amy riding bikes. I was taking the picture as I was riding/trying to balance (it's been awhile since I've actually rode a bike). I shouted to Emily and Amy to "Move into my fraameeee..." and then I almost (I said almost) crashed.














More bike riding shots














Amanda, Me, Laura, and Amy eating some afternoon Gelato. Straciatella e yogurt, pronounced yogoort (Chocolate chip and yogurt)














Dinner at Barallo's. I had linguine with a light cream sauce and artichokes.

"I Just Ate a Bathsalt"

Assisi: Mercoledi, Febbraio 24:
Day's Mileage: 3.5














A look up at the city with the smoke from burning olive branches in the front














Bus parking with a good example of permeable paving














Such a nice crosswalk detail, don't you think?




















Gateway into the city














Tony and Paolo chatting in the Piazza of San Francesco D'Assisi















The cloister courtyard at San Francesco














The garden outside the upper church of San Francesco. The word 'PAX" (or peace) spelled out in shrubbery. 'Bring me a shrubbery!'














Piazza of San Francesco D'Assisi with the valley in the background





















A pedestrian street. Doesn't that look like fun!?




















The bell tower














The Church of Santa Chiara




















Old man walking up hill




















Old woman walking up hill














Our secondi piatti at Ristorante La Rocca; potatoes and a chicken.














Emily, Amy, Me, and Heidi on the patio after lunch




















A pastry shop. Just take a look at all those pastries....is your mouth watering yet?














Amy and Emily with some pastries. Emily got a meringue type pastry. After biting into it she said:
"I just ate a bath salt" as it crumbled all over the ground and the pigeons flocked to share
"What does it taste like?" Amy asked
"Like cotton candy.....no....stale cotton candy" Emily replied



















Tony sketching at the Basilica Santa Chiara













A look back at Assisi through the trees on the bus ride back