We caught an early morning train and spent the first part of the day walking along the walls of this beautiful laid back town, enjoying the winter sunshine and the fantastic views of the surrounding countryside and the snow-capped mountains beyond. Many of the locals were also out strolling and cycling along the wide, tree-lined path atop these walls which were built around the old city in the 16th and 17th centuries. They are 12 metres high and in almost perfect condition due to the long periods of peace the city has enjoyed over its history. We walked the entire four kilometres, but punctuated our journey with a side trek into the lovely streets full of interesting shops, churches and restaurants.
This may not have been the Cinque Terre, but we still had a magnificent day and consider ourselves lucky to have seen Lucca.