Lucca

   Lucca is a kind of small–seeming walled town over by pisa.
Small–seeming because there’s really two parts to it, defined by the old wall. Inside the wall it’s very old–timey and Italian, there’s lots of churches and tourist stuff. People also live there, but the wall part’s not that big, Dad and I ambled all the way around it in an afternoon.
  Outside the wall is a proper town, There was a cathedral and the train station, it looked like the sort of place there’d be a grocery store, for example. We didn’t go over there, really. Dad was hungry and I had the beginnings of a cold.

Bongo!

{Yog Yog Yog}

I overexposed this picture by like 1&1/2 stops through a green window, so this is the best recovery I could do. But it’s a building where they apparently produce answers!

Lucca train station.

I love trains, trains are the best.

Walk–up view of Lucca.

The Wall is really frikkin’ big. Like, seriously BIG.

Main Gate

I really liked this tree. 

The Hotel Universo

There may not be lots of room inside Lucca, but for beautiful churches the Italians MAKE room.

Detail: Lion Decorations “Fighting”.

We didn’t go inside, here, but apparently it’s the biggest, fanciest cathedral in Lucca.

I Spy: Dissonance

Detail: NONE OF THESE MATCH, YOU GUYS. 

ARRRRGH

Italian Vignette: The beginning of a heist movie.

Detail: This church used to be really cool, until the weather got their fresco and they cemented over their windows.

Hey dad. 

Portrait!

Italian Vignette: Inner courtyard

Look at these buildings.

In the almost–centre of Lucca is an “Ampitheatre” which is really just a big circular area with a bunch of touristy food–shops that were all closed because we were trying to get lunch during siesta.

Detail: Ampitheatre

Italian Housekeeping Tip: Use your victorian window bars to keep your window plants in place!

So I was trying to make the cat more visible, but it ended up with the cat looking like an alien or the devil. So I kept it like that because I had obviously revealed the Inner Cat.

You can ride your bike right up onto the wall. 

Or, as one Italian guy who almost killed me did, your tiny silent car.

Panorama: Lucchese wall

Only one of these ancient arches survived.

Dad on a wall that is on a bigger wall.

Okay Dad, be a pirate.

ARRGH! 

Yeah, like that.

This creepy abandoned building is a parking garage.

THIS creepy abandoned building is a creepy abandoned building.

Detail: Trees in winter and a lamp–post

Scene: Winter trees and a bench on top of a wall.

This is what the top of The Wall looks like.

I was walking along and I noticed this group of old italian guys, all kind of…together. 

So I wanted to know what was going on.

They were about to play checkers. 

When they saw me taking picture of them they glared at me. 

I kind of think it’s a secret checkers–club.

I don’t know what’s going on with this building but I 100% approve.

Scene: Vanishing point obscured.

The back side of that cathedral with the tower and the columns that don’t match.

Detail: Copper Cupola

Later Lucca

Italian Taggers are my favourite Taggers.