Greve
Barga
Lucca
Cinque Terre
Florence

Around Tuscany in September

Italy 2012

Lucca

Luminaria di Santa Croce

A panorama view of Lucca's medieval wall.

One of the entrances to old Lucca.

Another entrance to old Lucca.

In Lucca we stayed at La Luna Hotel.

A fish-eye view of our room in Lucca, La Luna Hotel. Check out the ceiling.

Steps from our hotel we found a restaurant, a local delicacies vendor and a street musician.

The Piazza de San Michel. The view from our Lucca wine-tasting.

The Church of San Michel.

The top most statue on San Michel.

Wine-tasting in Lucca. 10 euro buys the glass and 4 tastes. Return the glass and get your 10 euro back.

Wine from the hills around Lucca - Colline Lucchesi.

Matteo Civitali (1436–1502) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, architect, painter, and engineer from Lucca.

Torre Guinigi has trees growing on it... a hanging garden.

Looking up from the bottom of the stairwell in the Guinigi Tower.

The last steps to the tower roof.

Our first look from the top of Guinigi Tower.

Panorama from the Guinigi Tower - overlooking Lucca and the mountains in the distance.

Overlooking Lucca from the Guinigi Tower.

Overlooking Lucca from the Guinigi Tower. The tower in the distance is the Cathedral of Lucca, San Martino.

Panorama from the Guinigi Tower. In the center of the photo, is the famous Lucca amphitheatre.

Overlooking Lucca from the Guinigi Tower.

On our way down - looking down from the top of the stairwell in the Guinigi Tower.

Paintings for sale in Lucca's streets.

A lush looking private yard.

Many buildings had religious paintings facing the street. In the lower left the devil is cast out.

Peeking in on a latin high mass.

Church of San Frediano.

Distinctive art on the front of the Church of San Frediano.

Italians love their shoes and their bikes. But at the same time?

The Cathedral of San Martino.

Inside San Martino.

Inside San Martino, Lucca.

Another lush wall.

This sign was in front of one of our most frequent stops in Lucca... the Church of Ss Giovanni and Reparata. A museum and opera concert hall.

San Giovanni is being used as a sort of shrine to opera and the music of Giacomo Puccini.

A dedication
altar off to one side in San Giovanni.

A dedication
altar off to one side in San Giovanni.

Marble pattern.

marble pattern

Climbing the stairwell to the top of San Giovanni's tower.

Almost at the top of San Giovanni's tower.

Interior stone wall of San Giovanni's tower.

View from the top of San Giovanni's tower.

Three towers seen from the top of San Giovanni's tower.

View from the top of San Giovanni's tower.

View from the top of San Giovanni's tower.

The Church of San Giovanni was built on top of an ancient Roman bath.

The Church of San Giovanni was built on top of an ancient Roman bath.

The Church of San Giovanni was built on top of an ancient Roman bath. This is preserved mosaic tile.

The Church of San Giovanni was built on top of an ancient Roman bath.

Fading frescoes and structural repairs on the main level of the Church of San Giovanni.

Frescoes and repairs on the main level of the Church of San Giovanni.

Ceiling in the Church of San Giovanni.

This ceiling in the Church of San Giovanni is of similar design and structure as the Pantheon in Rome.

Details found in the marble throughout the church.

Details found in the marble throughout the church.

Giacommo Puccini poster. One of those standing in the church of San Giovanni as a backdrop for operatic performances.

Basses in repose. They were there for the orchestra rehearsal that would take place later that night. The following night we went to the performance.

The church of San Giovanni transformed into a concert venue. The building had become dedicated to the work of Puccini and opera by all composers was performed every night.

The church of San Giovanni transformed into a concert venue. This performance would be an orchestra, choir, soloist and a very animated conductor.

In the Piazza de Napoleon, Lucca.

In the Piazza de Napoleon, Lucca.

In the Piazza de Napoleon, Lucca.

A door to one of the buildings in the Piazza de Napoleon, Lucca.

Detail of the door on one of the buildings in the Piazza de Napoleon, Lucca.

The chef at "Soup in Town". A tiny vegetarian restaurant in Lucca. Great gazpacho.

Church of San Giusto, Lucca.

Detail from around the entrance of the Church of San Giusto.

Detail from around the entrance of the Church of San Giusto.

When you take a 2 week vacation and pack only a backpack you eventually need a laundramat. The ones we encountered on this trip dispensed soap and fabric softener automatically so we didn't have to buy or lug our own. It's also a great place to meet people - locals and travelers.

This small restaurant had tables right in the middle of a street full of vendors.

An old door in Lucca.

stone wall with layers of repairs.

Panorama of Lucca's wall from the outside.

A few doors down from the laundramat we used in Lucca was the best restaurant of our visit to that town. Il Geco.

Inside Il Geco. We had met the owner - Leo - outside the night before while we were having an after dinner stroll. He convinced us to return the next day.

Il Geco's menu. We had cabbage ravioli and veal roasted with vegetables and a wonderfully relaxed dinner experience.

We took to taking photos of the place through the table setting.

Leo, the owner and son of the chef at Il Geco. An excellent host.

in the Roman section of Lucca.

Men on cherry pickers lighting candles on buildings - especially the ones along the path of the Luminaria procession.

One by one the men on cherry pickers lit candles on buildings along the path of the Luminaria procession. Each candle holder had its own little cover.

One of the many specially garbed groups participating in the procession.

For 2€ you can have a candle to hold while watching the procession. I guess is you were marching in it you would get one for free.

With our candles in front of the Church of San Frediano - the starting point of the procession.

Panorama of the Piazza de San Frediano while standing on the church's steps.

Another look at the Piazza de San Frediano before the procession.

This banner, near the beginning of the procession, bears a likeness of "il Volto Santo" - the famous wood carving of Christ that the procession centers around.

Not only did people stream out of the Church of San Frediano but also from the streets adjacent to it - feeding the beginning of the procession.

Candlelight everywhere. The steps of the church got crowded while folks waited their turn to join the procession.

Many sceptres waiting their turn to join the procession. The procession moved through the Piazza in front of us turning right onto the Via Fillungo to the Basilica of San Martino where the statue is kept on display.

Luminaria di Santa Croce is a religious event with historic and civil components. Medieval apparel is common.

Medieval apparel is common.

After the procession the marchers light up and head back to the starting point.

Medieval apparel is common. She is probably texting sire to bring the carriage and a change of clothes.

Candle lit buildings along the way.

Candle lit buildings along the way.

Candle lit buildings along the way.

The Church of San Michele by candlelight.

The arches are where we had a wine tasting in Lucca the day before.

While walking along the Renaissance era wall at night we saw where cars are kept. There are hardly ever cars on the streets of old Lucca.

Walking around Lucca.

A panorama of the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro in old Lucca. Originally an ancient Roman amphitheatre transformed into a favorite place to gather.

From the top of Guinigi Tower we can see the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro and behind it - San Frediano.

The amphitheatre -Piazza dell'Anfiteatro - of Lucca at night.

The amphitheatre -Piazza dell'Anfiteatro - of Lucca at night.

The amphitheatre -Piazza dell'Anfiteatro - is lined with restaurants.

Tortelli di Carne Lucchesi. No relation.

A photo we took in Il Geco and treated with an iPhone app - "Mobile Monet". The image sort of reduces the entire vacation to its essence.

Greve

The Chianti Wine Festival
Barga

Medieval Jewel
Cinque Terre

Via dell Amore
Florence

Renaissance City-Fiat 500