Lucca of Italy

About one and a half hour by train east (I think it is east) of Florence is the most quintessential medieval town of Lucca. Perfect for the noise-averted toddler and husband. Lucca is surrounded by a huge wall (also called rampart) that the locals and tourists walk, bike, run and kiss on. We walked on the wall, biked on the wall, and walked all about the town (we may have kissed once or twice but briefly because our son does not like for his dad to kiss me too long). We loved Lucca mostly because we are a very active family. We love biking, walking, hiking and the like, so anywhere we can do these things without worrying about getting hit by a car makes us happy. There are many factors that make Lucca child friendly besides not getting hit by a car when walking such as the towers. Yes, lots of tall towers that toddlers and their dads love to climb (side note: these towers are open to all ages whereas Pisa is only open to age 8 and older). I wanted to climb to the top of one of the towers and I really tried. I repeated a mantra over and over in my head ‘its only fear holding you back, ignore the fear’, but I got the “tummy funny (my 3 year old’s word for sick stomach)” feeling maybe 15 stairs and a narrow opening away from the top and had to plaster myself to the wall as I inched my way back down. I wasn’t always this terrified of heights. I used to be a avid rider of all those scary high rides at the state fair. I don’t know what happened….even now when I get on a plane I tell myself we are going to die in a crash so I am prepared (maybe it is reverse psychology because if I don’t say that to myself then we will crash…or maybe I am just a control freak and not afraid of heights just afraid of falling..during, which of course, I would have no control). My husband and son made it to the top of the tower with the walnut trees and found the view to be very rewarding. Besides the towers there were at least four playgrounds in Lucca that were easily found if you are walking or biking along the wall as well as a large carousel in one of the Palazzos. I found this town to be very child friendly. Even the husband found it to be to his liking.

Our accommodations in Lucca were impeccable -- A Palazzo Busdraghi, Residenza d'Epoca. It was a former palace and the current owner was incredibly accommodating and kind as well as all of the staff.