Pisa and Lucca

A few surprises today. We felt that seeing Pisa would not be so exciting or worth the time but actually as you walk through the old wall and see the beautiful church, baptistery and tower all bright white on an open piazza with not much near them it was worth a stop - the leaning tower was such a popular photo spot with the kids who all wanted pictures taken that made it look like they were holding it up. I was so busy taking photos of them I didn't get any on this camera - so coming later. After a short stop in Pisa, we were off to the medieval walled city of Lucca. This town was a little like a smaller version of Florence. The kids were excited to find posters up advertising their concert.








While the kids were setting up for the concert and rehearsing many of the adults found a cute little place on a piazza to have a little Chianti. It was so relaxing to not be hurrying somewhere.

Again most pictures coming later but I do have a couple from the concert. It was held in a former church now used as more of an auditorium. It was an incredibly beautiful venue and the accoustics were superb!





Mike fell asleep anyway....he had to get up at 8AM to join us from Florence.

The concert had quite a few enthusiastic people in the audience. One elderly man came by to talk to us because he loves America and American music - he had driven from another town to attend. It turns out he has spent time in the US in Florida as a young man in 1950 and then for a couple of years in South Carolina. He walked the whole way back to our busses just to talk and then told me he would never forget me.... Hoping Bill or Kevin got a picture of him.

Dinner was in a restaurant just near the walls of Lucca - one of the few places big enough to hold all of us.

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