Lucca

To be honest, we didn’t do a ton of research before this trip. We knew where we wanted to go and the basics of each city but that was about it. I’m a BIG planner and Cameron is more of a go with the flow kind of guy. Instead of having every minute planned, this laidback mindset really worked in our favor. It enabled us to stumble upon hidden gems that we might have missed! Our last day trip was to Lucca and ended up being one of our favorite destinations on the trip.

We arrived in Lucca hungry from our train ride. We overheard some locals chatting about “the best foccacia in Lucca” and knew where we were heading next. After getting lost down a few streets, we found Forno F. Casali (pictured below.) It doesn’t look like much on the outside, but BOY did the focaccia live up to the hype!

Next, we rented bikes and rode around the ancient city walls. We had heard mixed reviews about walking vs. biking, as many people said you could easily miss out on sights while biking. However, we absolutely loved the bike ride and it gave our feet a nice break from the 10+ miles we walked each day! After the bike ride, we had delicious pasta at Trattoria da Giulio and then explored the city, Lucca is the perfect place to just get lost down a side street and wander.

Author Hilaire Belloc’s 1902 description of Lucca still holds true: “It’s the neatest, the regularest, the exactest, the most fly-in-amber town in the world, with its uncrowded streets, its absurd fortifications… everything in Lucca is good.”

Photos by Cameron Premo

FELT HAT // Urban Outfitters

YELLOW DRESS // Urban Outfitters