Full day excursion to the north west part of Tuscany. Left Florence we drive the connection Firenze-Pisa, our first stop.
The city standing on the Arno river a few mails far his mouth.
Pisa became a Roman colony in the 2C BC when, situated on a lagoon was a port. Today is famous in the world for the evocative beauty of the masterpieces in Duomo square.

The named XIC Miracle square or Duomo square is one of the most important in Italy, here took shape the Pisano Romanesque style and the school of Nicola Pisano, XIIIC, very important artist, he had a profound influence on the development of sculpture in Italy.

The splendid Romanesque buildings of the Cathedral, Baptistery and Campanile (Leaning Tower) are raising from a green lawn.
We leave the square and out side the walled historical centre we get the country road linking Pisa and Lucca. Crossed the Pisano mountains the valley of the Serchio river is in front of us. Surround by the Apuane alps and by the Garfagnana mountains, appears Lucca inside its XVIC ramparts.

Lucca is one of the most beautiful small town in Tuscany still conserving much of the original Roman street plan.

The best way to visit Lucca is by walk. We start from the centre of the city, the site of the ancient Roman forum: San Michele in Foro square. 
With the same name the XIIC church, typical Pisan Romanesque style.
 
  
Crossed Napoleon square, on our left side the Duomo di San Martino. We walk in circle inside the historical centre to rich the Roman theatre, today a suggestive square: piazza dell’Anfiteatro.
 
After a light lunch in the sun in the square we walk still in circle, back to the city centre: San Michele in Fore square.
  

   THE VERSILIA COAST AND THE CARRARA WHITE MARBLE QUARRIES

Full day excursion on the northern Tuscany, in the morning we cross the VERSILIA COAST, one of the finest in Tuscany, is situated in the northeast corner of Tuscany between the APUANE ALPS and the MEDITERRANEO SEA. There are numerous charming resorts. The most important is Viareggio, the
most famous is Forte Dei Marmi.
Inland the medieval head town of the Versilia: Pietrasanta,
a small walled medieval town at the foot of the Apuane Alps, where there are the ancient white marble quarries, still active.
In the historical centre we can visit the art studios of sculptors from all over the world. WE could stop to take lunch here.
Early afternoon we drive straight to the top of the Apuane Alps. We are gonna to visit the marble quarry of FANTISCRITTI, we can do one tour inside .
 

Not too far, settings on top of the marble quarries there is the ancient village of COLONNATA where in the Roman times lived the slaves used to take out the marble cubes from the mountains, today the small village is known for the tasty LARDO DI COLONNATA.
 

   THE CINQUE TERRE

Full day tour to explore the eastern Riviera di Levante (Liguria region), the fascinating and romantic 5 TERRE, 5 miles of rocky coast in the eastern Liguria region, 5 villages castled up on sprugs of stone, or into very small inlets. Crossed La Spezia we arrive in Portovenere.
  
The village sit on a small peninsula
that encloses the gulf.
It’s characteristic are the rose and yellow tower houses, to look like a defensive wall. To do a boat excursion is my own main suggestion. A boat trip makes it possible to admire the whole 5 TERRE coast line along with other nearby places and allows to move from one village to the next: from Portovenere the first stop is RIOMAGGIORE, a very ancient village in an attractive and dominant position over the sea. From Riomaggiore start the famous “LOWER’S PATHWAY” a panoramic footpath linking Romaggiore and Manarola.

This zone is characterized by the presence of precipitous slopes which have been cultivated into terraced olive groves, to produce the “Lemoncello” and vineyards of “Trebbiana, Piccabon, Biancorotto, Albarola” grapes, to produce a very good dry wine simply named “5 Terre”, and the “Sciacchetra” a prized dessert wine.
From Manarola, where I suggest to take lunch, we get the boat to reach the next village, Corniglia, and Vernazza.
This village has been founded around the 1st C, in time acquired maritime traditions. Same example of an excellent architecture as loggias, arcades and portals denote a superior standard that of the other villages. The last village is Monterosso, from here we get back to Portovenere, still by boat.
 
Monterosso is at the foot of hills covered by vineyards and olive groves, beautiful beaches, crystal-clear water make this one of the most charming resorts on the eastern Riviera.