Florence... Not for Toddlers (or husbands who can't stand noise)

During my research on Italy I had read somewhere that "Florence is not for children." This statement was made by a Florentine woman who urged traveler's not to bring their children there. Unfortunately, we ignored that advice. Florence is beautiful, but the sidewalks are not made for strollers (they were made for Roman soldiers), our BumbleRide barely fit, and we often had to get off the sidewalk because the mopeds and cars were partially on the sidewalks (I felt really bad for the guy pusing the double stroller). In addition to small sidewalks it was incredibly noisy. I believe there must be more cars in Florence than there are in all of Italy. Unfortunately, both husband and child are very averse to noise so suffice to say both were miserable in the city. Fortunately on our 2nd day we found a playground across the Arno on Via della Fonderia just west of the Piazza Taddeo Gaddi which was bordered by the river and thus a little quieter.

I can honestly say if you are planning a trip make sure you and your spouse are on the same page when it comes to expectations. I knew it was going to be chaotic in the city, but did not expect anyone in my family to be miserable. And they were. Can you imagine walking on streets hundreds and hundreds of years old, seeing history in buildings and sculptures, not to mention all the shopping...and seeing it with two completely unhappy and unfazed people (well what could I expect from a three year old)? So there it was...we had to leave Florence and fast.

Prior to leaving the hotter-than-hell-state-of-Arizona we discussed how we would get around Europe especially getting to Florence, Italy. We decided train would be the best way to travel since our toddler despised being in his carseat for any length of time and traveling by train would be fun for him as well as interactive. However, after figuring out that Florence was pretty freaking far from Regensburg, Germany, as in 12-hours-on-a-train-far, and the same cost as flying we decided to fly to Florence and take the train thereafter. So, there we were in Florence, toddler unhappy and husband (sometimes like a toddler) unhappy as well needing a fast train out of 'Dodge.' We decided to head for a medieval-like town, Lucca, with preserved ramparts (walls) surrounding it. I had read about it on the Internet while searching for places to visit and it sounded like a lovely place to stay since cars were limited within the walls and walking was the highest rated activity.