"A Town Within A Wall" Lucca by coceng

Lucca Travel Guide: 653 reviews and 1,416 photos

FLORENCE<<<<<LUCCA>>>>>MONSAGRATI

ITALYFriday 13th June 2003
I arrived in Lucca from Florence; The train station was quiet...In fact, there's hardly anybody at the train station, tourist-wise. Good !
Called up my friend Vladimir in Monsagrati that I was there ! For you guys, the reason that I had to reach Lucca was to visit my Internet friend Vladimir; He's a property agent in Monsagrati, a small village 14 miles away fro Lucca.
Vladimir told me that his female friend who worked in Lucca would fetch me from the train station. Vlad said, a girl wearing a read blouse & a red car ! Her name is Geraldine. Sounds French...
I waited patiently. Then, came a red car with a red blouse girl driving a red car. She looked at me & I thought that was geraldine. Approached her & asking whether she was Geraldine, she looked at me & smiled & said "No...", politely.
Then, came a hunky guy (almost looked like a stud !) approached us & asked the girl what was I looking for ! I explained to them both & the 'stud' said.."Well, there are many red girls wearing red blouses & driving red cars & he said he knew them all ! I asked for Geraldine...He thought for a while & said never heard of that name !
They went off (they were boyfriend/girlfriend) smiling at me & asked me to keep on waiting !
10 minutes on & I was kinda worried, should I call Vlad back ?
Then, a red Fiat car stopped & a girl with a big grin looked at me & shouting "Are you Anuar ?!"...I nodded my head.
I thought I should like her there & then ! She's very pretty & chatty...We had a good laugh all the way to my Vlad's comfort !
What happened to me in Monsagrati, well you have to go to the page, the link above.
So, first day I didn't have the time to see Lucca properly....but the 2nd day, before I did my excursion to Pisa ! Also, walked/wander around more after I got back from Pisa !
I love this town ! It is contained within a wall although the train station is not ! There are lots of shops inside the walls, after all it's a tourist attraction this Lucca Town. Geraldine works in one of the shops, a bra shop...called Intimo3 !
So, if you are here in Lucca, look for the bra shop okay !
Geraldine also lives in Lucca, she cycles to work !
The streets within the walls are like a maze. Some areas we could still see some buildings from the early 20th century ! Like the door knobs, the doors, the windows, the walls etc.
There's also a tower but I didn't climb it, not enough time considering that I had more places to see around the Tuscany region ! Like Cinque Terre & Pisa !
Anyhow, Lucca is a nice town to visit, so laidback...you could jog around the walls !

A MUST SEE...

The Old Church in Lucca...called Chiesa di San Ferdiano....on the left.

Part of the Lucca Walls...on the right.

Pros and Cons

Pros:A Good Base To Explore Tuscany Region If Florence Is Too Hectic !
Cons:If You Want To Stay Within The Lucca Walls, It Would Be Too Expensive !
In a nutshell:Make A Stop Here When You Go To Pisa From Florence...

Last visit to Lucca: Jun 2003
Intro Updated Feb 18, 2005
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Reviews (6)

The Small Town Square... Things to Do (6)

A photo I took in Lucca Town Square...called Piazza Napoleone. There's a Tourist Office where I changed my travellers... more travel advice

Moderne... Things to Do (6)

This looks moderne but kinda retained its old charms... Some of the buildings in Lucca are being restored & some you... more travel advice

The Streets... Things to Do (6)

Via Fillungo is the busiest street in Lucca which threads through the heart of the old city ! The streets in Lucca... more travel advice

A Closer Look... Things to Do (6)

This is just a closer look of the Cathedral that I took photo of ! I didn't have the time to actually see the old... more travel advice

Comments (4)

alucas Dec 5, 2004 at 10:58 AM Report Abuse

Nice pictures, nice stories, brings back memories of our visits.
deecat Nov 19, 2004 at 8:02 PM Report Abuse

I spent 6 days in Lucca and loved every moment. Your photographs are splendid and capture the essence of this picturesque town.
sue_stone Nov 13, 2004 at 2:56 PM Report Abuse

I stopped off in Lucca recently. Love your stories!!
HORSCHECK Oct 10, 2004 at 6:11 AM Report Abuse

Arnaud, I am surprised ...it looks like you have already been everywhere in Europe ....I visited Lucca on my last trip and I loved it ...your page brings back many memories ... Well done! :o)