Pisa

After picking up our +3 we shouted,

“jet lag be damned”

and headed directly to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower in all her glory. She’s equally beautiful and scary at the same time but so worth the half day trip! It blew our mind that it actually took two centuries to build her and Gus was fascinated by the fact that at soon as they got the foundation set, she was already doomed. I really enjoyed taking photos of her as well as the nearby Baptistry and Duomo.

We had a delicious lunch inside with A/C (are we all catching on to a theme here) where I jumped on the “what’s trending now” bandwagon and had my first Aperol Spritz. It was a great little half day outing and perfect way for Mom, Brittany and Scott to ease into Italy!

For the Imazio’s out there, check out the deliciousness that gave us a taste of home ❤

Lucca

Awww Lucca, you little walled medieval town of wonder. You stole my heart with your delicious food, charming, side streets made for strolling, appreciation of the musical genius of your native son, Puccini, and mostly for the fact that you can actually traverse your wall. Yep, I said it. The wall is so wide that in some spots two cars side-by-side can drive along it, but it is primarily occupied by folks sitting on benches lining a 2.5 mile circular esplanade watching the nutjobs like us drive a six-person tandem bike!!!!

What an absolute hoot! And a blast! But a workout – not going to lie, I sweat . . . A lot!We rode around the entire city, perched above it with a birds eye view into every nook and cranny, church bell tower, and the beautiful rooftop patios covered in bright flowers and climbing ivy. I had to pinch myself as the wind blew through our hair as we rode around such a beautiful city.

After we rung out our clothes from all the sweat, took down a delicious ice pop and a bottle of water, we strolled down the pedestrian path to the San Giovanni Church to watch and listen to a live Puccini concert. Pinch me again. A beautiful church, a huge dome with old paintings on the walls, and a stage containing only a glossy grand piano. The hour long performance was exquisite, the voices rich, and I can only say that I was on the verge of tears at multiple points and my arms were permanently covered in goosebumps. The kids, surprisingly sat still until the last 15 minutes of the performance and Gus only asked twice if they really had to sing, “that loud” and if it would be “this loud” the entire time. Mom might have dozed off a few times, which was crazy because it was so loud! It was a once in a lifetime experience and us adults all loved it!

We capped off the day with a delicious late dinner back at Osteria Da Rosolo with the servers we met earlier in the week. It felt like going home and yes Pop, we had vino bianco with our Tortellini a la Lucchese and filet mignon with green peppercorn cream sauce. Blasphemy I know but boy did it hit the spot. The bottles, they just go down so easy here in Italy!

And a little foodie footnote for Emmy. This Piatto Bambini is right up your carb loving alley! We thought of you and smiled! ❤