Yesterday we took a little day-trip to a small town in Tuscany called Lucca. It was about an hour and a half train-ride from Florence [well, more if you count the amount of time we were STOPPED due to bad weather… good thing we brought a couple of bottles of wine on board]. This charming little town had so much more to offer than I expected.
After we rented some cute city bikes, it didn’t take us long to find a quaint spot for lunch: a restaurant called Stella Polare. After a couple of glasses of the house white [tippity tip: ordering the “house” wine in italian restaurants is a bargain AND usually the most tasty] and a TON of bread [also: bread is not free… they literally put it in front of you and you choose to eat it or not…. what the hell kind of mind game is that??], I ordered a piece of salmon with veggies [pretty much my first vegetable of the trip, so sad]. Though mine was deeeeelish, my roommate, Abbey’s, ravioli looked far more yum.
PS: Those little yellow-ish bread ballz are called “Pasta Fritta,” which means fried pasta… essentially. Obviously, so amazing. Beyond what words can describe.
Then, my friend Megan insisted that we ride to the Torre Guinigi to check out the view from the top of the tower. After busting our booty-regions to climb the bagillion stairs to the top, we overlooked the city from a small garden on the roof of the torre [aka: tower]. I was hesitant at first, but the leetle climb was worth it to witness a 360-degree view of Lucca and the surrounding Tuscan mountains.
Though we are not the most agile and experienced bicycle operators [I speak mainly for myself], we managed to make it through this little town’s streets and park [Passeggiata delle Mura] without hitting anyone/any cars and without wiping out completely. That might’ve been a buzz-kill.
After all of this super hard work [my life is so difficult, I know], we stopped at a local wine shop… you have to stay hydrated, amiright?? What I loved most about this town is the emphasis on local ingredients in food, local olive oil, wine, and more. It has a very authentic feel, much the opposite of the feel we have in the States. Nothing looks processed or just digusto.
Overall, I’d say the trip was a success. It was nice to get out of the hustle and bustle of Florence for a little bit. Uhhh also PS: Lucca Hosts a Summer Music Festival that is going on right now. And the BACKSTREET BOYS will be performing on the 24th of this month. As a majorly loyal NSYNC* fan, it pains me to say… but I really need to see the B-Boys in concert at least once in my life, right? It would be a fun little blast from the past.
N E ways, more to come my leetle freakshows [aka: my mom and grandma because those are my blog readers]. Sorry if I’m embarrassing you via the internet, momz.
Want more Euro adventures? Read the dirty deets on Florence, Monte Carlo, & Nice!
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