The nearness of Pisa to Lucca makes it an easy place to visit. The field of Miracles (Campo Santo- the field containing the Duomo, Baptistry, and the tower) is a great spot for a picnic, a place to relax and take in the beauty. At or near sunset, the crowds thin and the sun colors the marble and makes even more beautiful the buildings.
Well scratch the easy part of visiting and add the bus adverture. We had planned our visit careful: weather- clear, check, sandwiches (so delicious made to order) and picnic treats(yum!), check, tickets to the tower, check, train…,screeching halt! Work on the tracks between Lucca and Pisa,rerouted us to a street corner to pick up a bus. It was a scene reminiscent of the Tower of Babel! Passengers speaking all languages, originally planning to take a train to one of several stops trying to work between a bus driver and the Trenitalia staff to determine whether the bus at the corner would actually get them where they were going.
Traveling the countryside by bus, we are granted a new look on life outside the wall. A smattering of villas on the mountainside, olive trees, horses, little clusters of commerce and the bus flies by our intended stop on the way to the larger train station… so much for the victory we felt when we confirmed we were on the right bus…. A sympathetic bus driver who appreciates a little rudimentary Italian and ,we hop back on the bus for it’s return trip to Lucca where the driver pulls over to let us off within a few blocks of our originally planned stop and steps away from the gate to the field of miracles! We have arrived!
We also are even more confused about how we will get back home- but we decide to enjoy the moments and worry about that at the back end! ( it’s amazing how a little anxiety and adrenaline cement a travel experience!)
Despite some unfamiliar twists we make it back to Lucca! As we amble back from the train station to the wall, we are met by a creative, artistic experiment. The Lucca artist collective has coordinated people to circle the wall, positioning themselves in front of the many flood lights.
On the count down of a coordinator with a walkie talkie, the people begin to move creating large dancing shadows on the 40 ft high wall (we may or may not have jumped in to join them…). It was yet again another enjoyable moment that will bring us back to Lucca.
Maureen and David’s Travel Blog 
We have many Pisa memories
Way back when We spent a week camping (tent) at a US Army base near Pisa, Camp Darby. In addition to visiting close by Pisa, We ventured out from there on day trips to Florence and Rome.
Since much of the beachfront there is privately owned, we were able to experience the Italian beach scene on the stretch of beach owned by Camp Darby
😊👍 Steve
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That must have been fun.
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