This morning I was overjoyed to start picking up signed cycle routing for the via Francigena which even included off road sections. I encountered my first pellegrino Gijs from Holland walking Copenhagen to Rome. A minimalist in all but his choice of walking routes.
The trail took us straight past the Roman port of Luna which they only colonised in 177bc ( I had no idea of the rapidity of Roman expansion - Julius Caesar was fighting his Gallic wars only 100 years later) and which was there to email the Carrara marble which now goes out of Spezia. The most impressive remains are a well preserved modestly sized amphitheatre and the main drai n - a sobering reflection of what we leave behind long after we've gone.
Sunday lunch in an incredibly quiet Massa was taken with the quietly impressive and thoughtful Gijs who caught me up! And a memorable lunch it was of black truffle (in season) served in a butter sauce by a guy who used to be Marco Pierre White in London. The world has become a village.
The afternoon session took me up a moderate ascent in the foothills of what are termed the Appuan Alps followed by a long straight fast descent into Lucca.
Lovely Luccca where we honeymooners and particularly enjoyed the pizza del amphitheatre so I was delighted when booking.com came up with this B and B ('at home') overlooking the square. The biennial art exhibition was on with some great public art displayed fabulously well in this culture that does public spaces so well.
The night ended riotously with an entertaining dinner shared with Graed and Louise from Liege, more lovely sympathetic people as the conversation ranged from family to property and most things in between.
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