AVILA SPAIN HAS CREATED WHEELCHAIR ACCESS TO ITS MEDIEVAL WALLS

WHAT’S YOUR MODERN CITY’S EXCUSE FOR FAILING TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO MOBILITY AND ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?

High praise to Avila Spain for creating ramped access to an area with benches & great views of the famous city walls. 

The Walls are ancient, but access for people with disabilities is a priority.

https://www.avilaturismo.com/en/organize-your-visit/avila-is-everyone

AVILA SPAIN HAS CREATED WHEELCHAIR ACCESS TO ITS MEDIEVAL WALLS

WHAT’S YOUR MODERN CITY’S EXCUSE FOR FAILING TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO MOBILITY AND ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?

For years, the ancient city of Avila Spain has prided itself on expanding access for people with disabilities.

Because Ávila is built on a steep hill, the best way to reach the accessible portion of the Medieval walls is arriving by car or an adapted taxi. Exiting directly to the Puerta del Puente is recommended to avoid steep inclines from the upper city center. 

https://www.avilaturismo.com/en/organize-your-visit/avila-is-everyone

AVILA SPAIN HAS CREATED WHEELCHAIR ACCESS TO ITS MEDIEVAL WALLS

WHAT’S YOUR MODERN CITY’S EXCUSE FOR FAILING TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO MOBILITY AND ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?

The ancient city of Avila Spain has been a pioneer in accessible tourism.

On top of the ancient defensive walls, the accessible pathway is mostly flat with some cobblestones. 

https://www.avilaturismo.com/en/organize-your-visit/avila-is-everyone

AVILA SPAIN HAS CREATED WHEELCHAIR ACCESS TO ITS MEDIEVAL WALLS

WHAT’S YOUR MODERN CITY’S EXCUSE FOR FAILING TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO MOBILITY AND ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?

The ancient city of Avila Spain has long been at the vanguard of accessible tourism.

The Avila walls visitor reception area is connected by an accessible route and has manual wheelchairs available to borrow. 

https://www.avilaturismo.com/en/organize-your-visit/avila-is-everyone

AVILA SPAIN HAS CREATED WHEELCHAIR ACCESS TO ITS MEDIEVAL WALLS

WHAT’S YOUR MODERN CITY’S EXCUSE FOR FAILING TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO MOBILITY AND ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?

The ancient city of Avila Spain has been a pioneer in accessible tourism.

Once at the top of some of the best preserved city walls in Europe, disabled visitors can enjoy a flat, 100-meter stretch of the battlement walk. 

https://www.avilaturismo.com/en/organize-your-visit/avila-is-everyone

AVILA SPAIN HAS CREATED WHEELCHAIR ACCESS TO ITS MEDIEVAL WALLS

WHAT’S YOUR MODERN CITY’S EXCUSE FOR FAILING TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO MOBILITY AND ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?

For years, the ancient city of Avila Spain has prided itself on expanding access for people with disabilities.

An accessible portion of its famous city walls can be reached by ramp and elevator.

https://www.avilaturismo.com/en/organize-your-visit/avila-is-everyone

PENSION MONO CESKY KRUMLOV CZECH REPUBLIC

SUPER HIGH VALUE FOR WELL APPOINTED ROOM

IN AN OUTSTANDING AND QUIET LOCATION

Pension Mono’s Location is three minutes’ walk from heart of the old town Cesky Krumlov.

It is just far enough away to be super quiet at night.

My mattress was super comfy and the climate controls worked well.

The value is amazing.

I was in peak June season and my room was less than 100 USD fully loaded (as in taxes, fees, cleaning, etc.)

Just about the only negative is no elevator -- so this would not work as lodging for person who uses a wheelchair or cannot do steps.

The pension does not have on site breakfast.

Staff directs you to a cute deli a few minutes away – where you get a bit of a discount.

I would highly recommend this property.

 

 

 

PENSION MONO CESKY KRUMLOV CZECH REPUBLIC

SUPER HIGH VALUE FOR WELL APPOINTED ROOM

IN AN OUTSTANDING AND QUIET LOCATION

My Pension Mono room was compact, but super well put together. 

It featured a super nice bathroom with very warm water in the shower.

The staff person was there to meet me right on time and brought up extra flat sheet that I requested.

The property is super close to the smaller bus station in Cesky Krumlov – which is much closer to the old town and all the sights you want to see.

It's a five minute walk to Pension Mono from the Spicak Bus Station.

I took a direct bus from Prague and was there in less than 3 hours.

PENSION MONO CESKY KRUMLOV CZECH REPUBLIC

SUPER HIGH VALUE FOR WELL APPOINTED ROOM

IN AN OUTSTANDING AND QUIET LOCATION

 
Cesky Krumlov is well worth a two-day visit.

Pension Mono is the ideal place to overnight in the Medieval city.

It all starts with an attentive staff that fields questions before booking.

I'm a communication guy.

I don't just book -- I want to know location, locals food recommendations, be placed in a quiet spot within the property, know the proximity to transit, etc.

The pension’s staff was superb at using the Booking.com messaging system to address all concerns long before I was in the Czech Republic.

From morning to late afternoon, Cesky Krumlov is still beautiful -- but it is choked with tour groups.

That’s why I highly recommend staying overnight.

It's a whole different, quaint town from about 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. the next morning. 

ANTONELLA MARCUCCI -- SUPERSTAR ENGLISH SPEAKING GUIDE TO LUCCA (WITH INSIGHTS INTO TRAVEL BY WHEELCHAIR)

FOR AN OUTSTANDING GUIDE TO LUCCA:

Antonella Marcucci is an outstanding and passionate guide to all the treasures of Lucca.

She is the English speaking guide that led us the Il Mecenate.

In her words:

"I got my Degree in Foreign Languages at Bari University and, after travelling the world as a Tour Leader, about 20 years ago I decided to stop in Lucca where part of my family come from.

I am a mom (my son is 14 years old), I love motorbikes (I’ve got a yellow one), I love art and ceramics, archery and walking, Middle Ages, painting and telling stories.

I am also a Licensed Lucca and surroundings Tourist Guide, a Tour Leader (worldwide) and a Licensed Disability Manager at Università Cattolica in Milano (Italy).

I have a Solid Tour Guide experience and I am very passionate and very knowledgeable about Lucca, wonderful city, and its surroundings."

http://luccaguide.wordpress.com

antonella@guidelucca.it

mobile: + 39 339 6328832

IL MECENATE -- LUCCA, ITALY -- PART 5

LOCALLY SOURCED, DIVINELY PREPARED CUISINE

IN THE FINEST LUCCHESE TRADITION

Torta di arancio e cioccolata consists of almonds pulverized into a flour the consistency of corn meal, blended with oranges and served with a dark chocolate sauce. 

The lusciously grainy texture, paired with the tartness of the citrus and sweetness of chocolate formed a union that transcends words.

 

Il Mecenate charmed this day tripper, a rich reward for stepping off the beaten path in Lucca.

IF YOU GO:

Il Mecenate is in the center of Lucca at Via del Fosso, 94.

Phone 0583512167 or 3202307408

Its website gives the old address, when the restaurant was still in the countryside, so ignore that old information and remember that Mecenate is within the walled city.

http://www.ristorantemecenate.it

LUCCA STORIES CONTINUE

TOMORROW -- SEPTEMBER 18

IL MECENATE -- LUCCA, ITALY -- PART 4

LOCALLY SOURCED, DIVINELY PREPARED CUISINE

IN THE FINEST LUCCHESE TRADITION

For secondi pasti, we selected perfectly al dente spaghetti with garlic, olive oil and more fresh prawns.

The simplicity of the dish allowed the quality of the ingredients to shine through.

We sampled more wine along with oven cooked fish and roasted, lightly seasoned potatoes.

More simple, yet spectacular dishes.

 

It’s hard to argue with chocolate as a conclusion to a great meal.

We would enjoy it in two ways: straightforward and unforgettable.

The former consisted of a luscious, moist cake.

The latter -- according to our host -- a much-treasured heirloom recipe passed down through generations. 

IL MECENATE REVIEW CONTINUES

TOMORROW -- SEPTEMBER 17

IL MECENATE -- LUCCA, ITALY -- PART 3

LOCALLY SOURCED, DIVINELY PREPARED CUISINE

IN THE FINEST LUCCHESE TRADITION

 

No English translations on the menu here.

But between our host’s decent but limited English, our very limited Italian, and some similarity of Italian to Spanish, we felt right at home.

Our host read aloud to us everything listed on the menu, plus the specials, all the while rhapsodizing about the charms of each tantalizing dish.

 

We started with Tortino di Carciofi: artichoke flan. 

This typically Tuscan dish was a soft, spongy, flavorful confection.

A tomato-based soup with locally sourced prawns and a light, citrus-y pino gris made for a lovely pairing.

We savored our primi pasti, enjoying the sight of an elegant greyhound who’d come with his master to chat a spell with the proprietor. 

IL MECENATE REVIEW CONTINUES

TOMORROW -- SEPTEMBER 16

IL MECENATE -- LUCCA, ITALY -- PART 2

LOCALLY SOURCED, DIVINELY PREPARED CUISINE

IN THE FINEST LUCCHESE TRADITION

Dapples of shadows and light played off the ochre of walls, the indigo of an awning, the vermillion of window box geraniums.

 

But tourists (as opposed to travelers – fodder for a future blog posting) were also in full bloom.

And restaurants catering to tourists were plentiful as well.

Finding a gem off the beaten path would be a challenge.

Fortunately, our guide led us through some tranquil residential streets to Il Mecenate, a restaurant specializing in frutti di mare.

In Italian, il mecenate means “the patron,” and indeed, it is all about you, the one sitting at the table.

 

We felt as though we’d been invited to dine with long-lost cousins at their country house in the rolling hills of Toscano. 

 

IL MECENATE REVIEW CONTINUES

TOMORROW -- SEPTEMBER 15

IL MECENATE -- LUCCA, ITALY -- PART 1

LOCALLY SOURCED, DIVINELY PREPARED CUISINE

IN THE FINEST LUCCHESE TRADITION

By Heidi Johnson-Wright

Travel brings many pleasures, perhaps the best of those being a treasured experience one did not expect.

During a fortnight spent in Tuscany, we took a day trip to Lucca, a delightful little town just a short train ride from Florence.

 

Upon arrival, we took a cab into the old heart of the town, still encircled by a centuries’ old, amazingly well-preserved stone wall.

We met up with a guide, who took us on a walking tour of various cathedrals, piazzas and landmarks.

After several overcast days in Florence, we were entranced by the sunlight bathing everything in a golden glow. 

IL MECENATE REVIEW CONTINUES

TOMORROW -- SEPTEMBER 14

THE WANDERER'S GUIDE TO LUCCA -- PART 8

THE BEST "STORY BEHIND THE BEAUTY 

AND HISTORY" GUIDEBOOK WE'VE SEEN

Lucca without walls would be like Florence without the Duomo.

The reinforced walls enclosing Lucca's historic center are some of the best preserved ramparts in Italy.

While many cities tore down their ancient walls in the name of progress, the Lucchese were wise enough to preserve theirs.

Defensive walls were first built by the Romans, who fled to safety in Lucca when Hannibal invaded Italy and defeated the Roman army in the Po valley in 218 BC.

A new, larger, medieval era wall was substantially completed by 1265.

It almost doubled the size of the city from about 90 acres to roughly 180, according to Lindquist.

The author estimates the population increased from about 10,000 to 15,000.

"In 1453, the Turks assaulted Constantinople with a barrage of cannon fire. The strongest walls in Eurpoe fell and at long last the Roman Empire fell with them," Lindquist writes. "The lesson of the effectiveness of artillery was transported to Italy when King Charles VIII of France invaded in 1494. His cannons easily dispatched any medieval wall they encountered."

Lucca started preliminary work on its Renaissance-era walls in 1513.

The new walls were completed in 1650 and they increased the size of the protected city within them to 270 acres.

"The new wall was a massive earthen structure, 100 feet wide at its base, 60 feet at the top, 23 in height," reports Lindquist, who notes there were only three gates into the city at that time.

He also reports that by the time of the Napoleonic wars, the walls no longer provided a viable military defense.

In the 1800's, the top of the thick wall was planted with trees and grass, turning it into a huge park.

Visitors and locals love to walk the perimeter of Lucca on top of the wall.

There are more than four kilometers of walls with six gates.

Order the book at www.lindquistguides.com

 For $31.40, including shipping by U.S. Mail, the guide comes with a huge, fold-out, full-color map that lists hundreds of sites detailed in The Wanderer's Guide to Lucca.

THE WANDERER'S GUIDE TO LUCCA -- PART 7

THE BEST "STORY BEHIND THE BEAUTY 

AND HISTORY" GUIDEBOOK WE'VE SEEN

Whether one is visiting for a day, or staying for a month, one of the best things to do in Lucca is to walk its narrow streets and get lost in their beauty.

Lucca is an ancient place, but it is very much alive and breathing -- and not just with tourists.

Lucca is a functioning town of some 85,000 -- not a Tuscan Disneyland with a train stop.

The birthplace of Giacomo Puccini, of La Boheme and Madame Butterfly fame, has beloved music fests (we saw more posters for pop/rock shows than classics during our 2012 visit.)

Cool shoe stores, bakeries and artisanal shops abound.

Bookstalls still exist.

Lindquist dedicates only a half dozen pages to Lucca's streets -- but only because they are dominated by the more than 100 combined churches and palaces that he explores in the other sections of his 370-page guidebook.

"Via Fillungo -- this is Lucca's Main Street, the shopping center and the thoroughfare for Sunday passeggiata," the author writes of the best place to take an evening stroll to socialize with neighbors and friends.

"In Roman times, Via Fillungo was the Cardus Maximus, the central north-south street. It ran straight north from its intersection with the Decumanus Maximus to the north gate and then angled northeasterly up to the bridge across the Serchio," he writes (Decumanus Maximus being the major east-west road in a town laid out by the Romans.

Lindquist says Via Fillungo gives a glimpse into the medieval world with "an array of high, wide, ground floor archways, today filled with glass storefronts, but which in the Middle Ages were open to the street."

"Do not pass by Caffe di Simo without going in," the author says of #58, Via Fillungo. "Puccini liked to spend time there with his friends and it is still the most pleasant place for afternoon tea. The hot chocolate is famous; it provides a remarkable jolt of energy."

Order the book at www.lindquistguides.com

The Wanderer's Guide to Lucca review 

continues tomorrow -- September4

THE WANDERER'S GUIDE TO LUCCA -- PART 6

THE BEST "STORY BEHIND THE BEAUTY 

AND HISTORY" GUIDEBOOK WE'VE SEEN

Lindquist dedicates about 30 pages to the stories of 40 prominent Lucca families.

"The patricians of Lucca valued ancient roots even more than wealth; the most prized status was to be declared an original citizen," the author writes.

The face of Lucca, powerful silk-trading city-state with trade partners all over Europe and suppliers in Asia, changed with a 1308 law that banned most of the old guard from serving in government.

Although the rules changes down the road and wealthy families ran the republic, the 1308 decree sent prominent families packing -- many settling in Venice.

"It was the end of Lucca's monopoly on the silk trade," the author observes.

Lindquist profiles the Fatinelli family as being most famous for having been the employers of Santa Zita in the 1200s.

Zita became a servant for the Fatinellis at age 12 and served them until she died at age 60. 

The patron saint of maids and domestic servants, her biographers have said the diminutive servant was unjustly despised, overburdened, reviled, and often beaten by her employers and fellow servants for her hard work and obvious goodness.

She eventually was put in charge of all affairs at the house and is portrayed holding keys (that is why she is invoked when someone loses keys.)

Her body was exhumed in 1580, discovered to be incorrupt but since become mummified. 

St. Zita's body is on display for public veneration in the Basilica di San Frediano in Lucca.

As for the Fatinellis, they tried to make amends to their miracle-performing maid by paying for her tomb and building a chapel around it.

Order the book at www.lindquistguides.com

The Wanderer's Guide to Lucca review 

continues tomorrow -- September 3

THE WANDERER'S GUIDE TO LUCCA -- PART 5

THE BEST "STORY BEHIND THE BEAUTY 

AND HISTORY" GUIDEBOOK WE'VE SEEN

Palazzi (palaces in Italian) are as remarkable as the food in central Italy.

Some evolved out of Medieval towers that were constructed for protection, not status.

Most palazzi, though, are status symbols that have stood the test of time.

While Americans tear down buildings barely a quarter century old, the Lucchese preserve centuries-old palaces.

Some become museums, others converted into offices but many still serving as residential showplaces for wealthy merchant families.

Lindquist's book details nearly 100 palazzi, including the Palazzi Guinigi, a pair of gothic palaces.

One even features a 130-foot-tall tower with oak trees growing on top of it, the Torre Guinigi, which you can climb for a bird's eye view of the city.

"Both palazzi were built about 1375. The one on the east probably was built first, by Francesco Guinigi, 'padre della patria,' on the foundations of medieval buildigns and the Roman wall," the author writes of the palace-owner honored as "father of the fatherland."

The palazzo with the tower remained in one branch of the Guinigi family all the way to 1956, when it was purchased by the town.

Order the book at www.lindquistguides.com

The Wanderer's Guide to Lucca review 

continues tomorrow -- September 2

THE WANDERER'S GUIDE TO LUCCA -- PART 4

THE BEST "STORY BEHIND THE BEAUTY 

AND HISTORY" GUIDEBOOK WE'VE SEEN

Churches dominate Lucca and the 200-plus pages about still standing and former churches dominate Lindquist's guidebook.

"Every Lucchese knows that at one time there were precisely one hundred churches in town," the author writes.

"It is a somewhat mythical number (in fact, the official website calls it "the city of ninety-nine churches") but in the Middle Ages it was not far from the truth, if we count every oratorio, chapel, and those churches which lay just outside the walls."

Lindquist goes on to chronicle the history, significance, art works and other details of 41 still existing churches, plus 37 that have been demolished or radically altered.

The author goes into great detail about the Cathedral of San Martino, founded in the 580s and greatly expanded in the 700s -- which was a boom time for wealthy Lucca.

Our favorite exterior decoration is the Labyrinth, which dates to the 1100s.

The inscription reads "Here is the labyrinth built by Daedalus of Crete, from which no one who entered could escape, except Theseus who was helped by the thread of Ariande."

Lindquist describes the famed equestrian statue of St. Martin giving his cloak to a pauper as "one of the earliest examples of Tuscan sculpture," which he dates back to about 1200.

San Martino has many treasures inside, but our favorite is Jacapo della Quercia's Sarcophagus of Ilaria del Carretto.

Ilaria, wife of mega-wealthy merchant Paolo Guinigi, died in childbrith at age 26.

Della Quercia's early 1400s artistic tomb features the young Ilaria with a dog at her feet, a symbol of conjugate fidelity.

Order the book at www.lindquistguides.com

The Wanderer's Guide to Lucca review 

continues tomorrow -- September 1