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John: We check in to our accommodation, Buonanotte, at Lucca, on time after nearly missing one of our 4 rail changes. Across the road is the gate of Porta Elisa, one of four gates providing entrance to the fortified, medieval town. Once again, the town is incredibly beautiful, causing us to finally reject earlier blog reflections, instilled by our sons, that Italy pales against other destinations in Europe.
The 10 metre high wall around the town is 4.5 km long and inside: so many medieval piazzas, narrow streets decorated with sparkling, multi- coloured Christmas lights, multiple churches built anywhere from the 10th to 15 th centuries, and so many Torres(towers). We climbed the Guinigi tower and from just one vantage point, we counted 11 other towers. Another quirky element of this tower was the fact that there are multiple established oak trees decorating the viewing platform at the top (not in pots). As per Vernazza, the weather is perfect, the days are cool, but the skies are an incredibly deep blue- in Australia, the sky, even on the best day, is more a light hazy pale blue. It is little wonder that Italy has been such an inspiration for artists around the globe throughout history.
On the 31 st December, we walk from the medieval town back to our rooms for an afternoon sleep in anticipation of the New year celebrations that are supposedly happening in a couple of the piazzas. However when we return, there is little happening other than a little music around the mobile open ice skating rink. The town s beautiful but empty, so we return to our rooms to watch Johnny Depp's first movie- he looks around 16 and it is truly awful. A quiet new year with boccocini cheese and petit salamini!!
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