The fortified walls that encircle Lucca were built in 1504-1645 but were never used for defensive purposes and were demilitarized during the Napoleon era and since then act as a public walkway.
The walls are continuous and in remarkable shape! There is a double avenue of trees on the wall which creates a most attractive promenade. The total length of these ramparts is about 4 kilometres / 2.5 miles and there are people constantly taking advantage of this wonderfully peaceful “park” for walking, and cycling, etc.
Today was actually a rainy day in Lucca. I think this is my second rainy day since arriving in Italy! I had intended to go to a nearby town called Montecatini Terme but the weather put me off. So, one of the things I did instead was rent a bicycle to enjoy the wall. To me, overcast weather is perfect for cycling (and gardening) as no worries about the sun, and if it rains, so what!
I had so much fun! Ann and I had discussed renting bikes, especially as tandems are available and I thought that could be really funny, but we never got around to doing it.
I spent two solid hours flying around the top of the wall. I started in one direction, then I flipped around and went the other way to enjoy a different perspective. Then, I rolled down one of the ramps into town and exited one of the ports and low and behold there is also a path that encircles the town outside of the city walls! What a delight! So I did that, too.
In the middle of all of this there was a huge downpour which just added to the fun! I was singing O’ Sole Mio and O Mio Babbino Caro and having a great time!
It has been so long since I have been on my bike that I forgot how much fun it was! I am sure I will regret it tomorrow, though, as no doubt I was using muscles I haven’t used in a while and I really missed my racing saddle!
Not Quite a Mid-Life Gap Year 