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Tuesday was another side trip - just over an hour and a quarter by train to the medieval - then renaissance - walled city of Lucca, and with the station 5 minutes away, an easy trip - although our train got us into Lucca 40 minutes late.

We explored the rather astonishing churches of this interesting city which escaped the bombs of WW 2 and so remains intact. The cathedral houses the "Volta Santa" which featured in a book I just read and so I was keen to see it. Unfortunately the structure in which it sits is under repair so while it can be seen, it is somewhat obscured. The Volta Santa is held in very high regard by the locals who carry it through the streets every September 13th to mark its miraculous arrival in Lucca. (M: It was reputed to have been carved by Nicodemus,and to have arrived by unmanned boat and miraculous oxen from the Holy Land - but is actually a 12th or 13th century work). We had a lovely lunch in the restaurant called "Gli Orti di Via Elisa" on Via Elisa which I assume is named for Napoleon's sister Elisa to whom Napoleon "gave" Lucca in 1805.

M:This time there were local salumi and pates, and risotti - one with vegetables and the other with pecorino and truffles. A lovely restaurant. Friendly staff. Interesting décor with front pages from historic events in Italy. And moderate prices!

We were able to continue our second favourite Italian hobby after lunch - stair climbing. This time we paid a visit to a medieval tower called the Torre Guinigi, the top of which is crowned by a small group of trees, giving a lovely shaded view over the town and surrounding hills. One of us saw the view "live" while the other saw the pictures. There are a couple in the album.

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A truly remarkable feature of Lucca is that it retains its entire renaissance wall, along with remnants of its earlier walls - another consequence of not having been bombed. The broad wall is very pedestrian-friendly so we did as the locals do and walked on it, and then biked around it after we spotted a place where we could rent a bike for 2.50 Euros for an hour. This was really enjoyable and a great way to see the whole town.

An on-time return on the train, some shopping at the supermarket, and a light tea at home saw the day out for us. We have one week till our final Italian destination- Verona- where we meet the girls. The time is getting away from us.