on the road again...

here we are in lucca. this is italy. no ifs ands or buts about it. it is posititvely wonderful. it tops rome, venice and siena. hands down. it is an ancient city with its walls (100 feet thick) around it. inside are shops, homes, piazzas and little markets. we have only just arrived and i truly feel like i am in europe for the first time. i cannot wait to explore more.

siena, the town we just left, could have been better. it was just like rome, only smaller. the color "burnt siena" originated here because of the color of the bricks. the hotel was very strange. it felt more like a hospital room than a hotel room. oh, and there was no bathtub or half-bath. the shower stuck out of the wall and you showered in the middle of the room. everything was drenched. it was a fun experience, though.

for today, we are doing laundry and exploring the town. tomorrow we can rent bikes and ride around the ramparts of the town. it is only 2.5 miles around.