Woke up in Rome this morning, the BBC news channel said no general strike on today, so we breakfasted and headed for the train station. Along the way we took pictures of some manhole covers that dot the Roman streets, stamped with S.P.Q.R. We saw that set of initials at the Roman Forum yesterday, 'Senatus Popolus Que Romanus', in Latin. Rome hasn't forgotten its roots.
Arrived, found a short lineup for tickets, through that in a flash with Eurostar tickets for Florence and the connecting regional train to Lucca. This Euro travel by train is getting easier and easier.
Uneventful and very pleasant hour and fifteen minute ride to Florence, twenty minute wait for the Lucca train, and then almost two hours of multiple stop milk run to our destination in Lucca. Got off, had a Cappucino, and hiked to the hotel, a gentle travel day.
The car sat happily in the parking lot, and the hotel staff greeted us like old friends. We rested up for a couple of hours, then off to dinner at a favorite restaurant in the walled city. Pasta with meat sauce. That's what peasants eat, I know.
Home to bed, tomorrow we jump into the car and head toward Florence, then up into the Appenines and toward Bolognia in the north of Italy. And beyond, trying to get close to Venice for a visit there.
