Day 6 was a high-stress day. We had to re-fuel and return the rental car in Pisa by 10:30 am.
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Day 6 was a high-stress day. We had to re-fuel and return the rental car in Pisa by 10:30 am. | |
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| This was the breakfast room at Hotel La Locanda. When I chose the hotel and the 10:30 am return time for the rental car, I did not know their breakfast was only served starting at 8 am. | Hotel La Locanda's breakfast was typical Italian buffet: coffee, juice, pastries, fruit, yogurt, meat, and cheese. |
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| We refueled the car at a service area on the highway then returned the car to the Pisa Airport (stressful but we got it done). We then took a bus to the Pisa train station (1.20 euros [$1.30]), stored our bags at the left luggage office for 8 euros ($9), and walked to the Leaning Tower. It was the hottest day of our trip, and the crowds were large, but it was so fun! | Just me with the tower! (When I was last here in 2001, the tower was closed to climbing, but it can now be climbed. We did not.) |
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| The Leaning Tower is actually the bell tower for Pisa's Duomo (Cathedral). | For lunch in Pisa, we got a too-large portion of fries (for 6 euros [$6.60]) and ate them on a shady bench on the main drag. So fun! |
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| We walked back to the train station, picked up our bags, and took the next train to Lucca (30 minutes, 3.40 euros [$3.75]). The train was delayed but comfortable and air-conditioned! | Our hotel in Lucca, Hotel Rex, was right next to the train station. We went and checked in and took a siesta. I paid 89 euros ($101, including the tax) for the night. Our room was a strange configuration: a kid area and the bathroom on the bottom floor, and the adult beds on a second floor. Hot air rises, so even with air conditioning, the temperature on the top floor only got to 76 F after 12 hours of having the air-conditioning on. It was no fun. |
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| I made the mistake of asking our hotel for their loaner bikes around 4:30 pm. It was still 95+ F outside. The first bike I got had a flat tire. We started out to bike Lucca's historic walls, but it was too hot, and we sat under a tree for an hour, enjoying the breeze and the people-watching. We did eventually make it all the way around. | We had enjoyed our two nights in a row of hand-made pasta, so we asked the man at the front desk for a recommendation for dinner. He gave us two. We went and read both menus and ended up at La Tana dell'Orco (a.k.a. Claudio's). It is a local family restaurant with the atmosphere of an American Mexican restaurant. I kept waiting to be served chips and salsa. We had a great time! |
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| I had the tortelli lucchesi (ravioli with meat sauce)--a classic American flavor a long way from home. It was so good! | My mother had her favorite, the margherita pizza, and said it was also very good. |
| After dinner, we went out walking inside the walls. Tons of people were out! It was fun to see. We got gelato, too. | |