We reluctantly left the Villa Sonnino by San Miniato for our ride to Lucca. It was a quiet and somewhat hidden refuge in a forest, so peaceful after the boisterous party in Poggibonsi the previous night. We had a bit of trouble getting on the correct roads again today and had to do a few u turns to get back on track. The GPS likes to change the route on us so we have to keep an eye on it. We were also delayed by another flat tire on our friend’s bike, the fourth for them this trip.
The route today was relatively flat and easy, also shorter than all the other days. However the traffic was a bit heavy as it was a Saturday. We arrived a bit early to check in at the B&B so headed to the main piazza for a gelato and a look around. European piazzas are a great place to people watch, we often do this. Later we were able to get into the accommodations and put the bikes in a secure location. After a quick cleanup we ventured out again to explore. We climbed up the tower with the trees growing up top and got a great view of Lucca and the surrounding area. Then we just wandered around, looking at cathedrals, statues, more piazzas and the wall/walkway that surrounds Lucca. We had supper in a great ristorante recommended to us that was right beside a large gathering of some type, wedding, reunion or something so that was interesting to watch also. We will miss the warm evenings and outdoor dining we enjoy most days.
Getting ready to leave the luxury of Villa Sonnino, a 4 star hotel for 70€
The piazza antifeatro in Lucca, another fascinating people watching spot/gelato stop
We climbed the Torre Guinigi, which has had 7 oak trees growing on it since the 16th century
A wizened italian gentleman with pipe and more modern accessories
We ate supper next to a huge outdoor banquet
geeteetravels 
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