The nearest airport is Pisa - 35mins drive and Florence is a 45mins drive.

The seaside (Viareggio, Forte dei Marmi, Marina di Pietrasanta) is a 25mins drive.

Lucca is a 15 minute drive and we reccommend you take a little time to explore its delights. Perhaps an early evening walk (passeggiata) along the top o walls (a 2.5 mile circuit) followed by dinner or get up early and hire some bikes from the many rental agencies just inside the gates of the walls. There are lots of squares, restaurants & bars to visit and the main shopping street is Via Filungo.

Visit one of the many historical villas (stately homes) eg Villa Torrigiani in Camigliano which offers guided tours in English or Villa Mansi in Segromigno in Monte, and Villa Reale in Marlia... all within a few miles of each other. Drive along the Strada del Vino the famous winding road through Lucca's famous wine growing region and visit one of the Fattorias eg Fattoria Maionchi of Villa Gambaro where you can taste and buy wine & olive oil. The nearby town of Montecarlo has a hill top fortress which is open to visit.

If you have young children visit the village of Collodi home of Pinocchio Park-a quaint little amusement park for all fans of the story-suitable for children aged up to 10 years old. The Park is shaded and has a restaurant so its good to get out of the sun for awhile.

The Garfagnana is an area famous for its wild & rugged scenery and will appeal to nature lovers and walkers. It is sometimes called the Scottish Highland of Tuscany and the beautiful town of Barga has strong links with Scotland. Nearby the Grotta del Vento is a fascinating series of caves and underground rivers & lakes. There are 3 types of guided tours between 1-3 hours long.

For opera music lovers there is the Puccini festival during the summer at Torre del Lago (a 20 minute drive). There are also a series of popo concerts in Lucca over the summer, recent names have been Blue, Anastacia, Jamiroquai, Jamelia, James Brown to name a few.

Telephone: +39 0583 928972  e-mail: anthony_moman@hotmail.com