Luxury Travel Advisor - January 2009 - (Page 11)

ACCESS: The Romans built Renaissanceera walls around the Tuscan city of Lucca, just northwest of Florence, as a military measure to defend itself against attacks. Today, Lucca’s walls are still intact, and inside the city, which is the birthplace of Puccini, is a charming walking town where travelers will find an enclave of Romanesque churches, boutique hotels and residenze d’epoca, or historic houses turned into hotels. We began at the 17th-century Palazzo Tucci (www.palazzo tucci.com), where owner Beatrice Betti (info@palazzotucci. com; 011-39-058-346-4279) showed us the perfectly restored palace, birthplace of composer Alfredo Catalani. There are three frescoed guest rooms and three suites, plus a dramatic red-walled salon, where guests can enjoy a glass of wine and complimentary Wi-Fi among the antique furnishings. The rooms at Palazzo Tucci are frescoed and distinctive and each is named after a Catalani opera or character. The Wally Suite, set in the former ballroom, is truly elegant with both a double bed and a sofa bed— and enough room to dance the waltz in your pajamas. The Loreley is a haven, with a dramatic white bed that contrasts with the red walls, frescoed ceilings and blue sofas. Similar to the Loreley, the Dejanice room combines rich red walls that are set off with a grand floral-draped baldachini (canopied) bed. La Serenata, a suite for three people, has yellow stenciled walls and green brocades decorating a small living room with terrace and a double bedroom. Palazzo Tucci offers free Transportation in Lucca Trains run often between Lucca and Florence on the Florence-Viareggio train line. It’s a short walk from the train station to the walls of the city and most hotels will provide transportation from the station. Pisa International Airport (www.pisa-airport.com) is the closest to Lucca and Florence Airport (www. aeroporto.firenze.it) is easily reachable as well. Both accept private aircraft. For those wishing the ultimate driving experience, Elite Rent (www.eliterent.com) offers vehicles such as Ferraris, Bentleys, Lamborghinis, Porsches and Aston Martins. Navigating the back roads of Tuscany in a luxury vehicle is an exclusive experience. Elite also offers cars with drivers for those not wishing to drive themselves. Contact Station Manager Gabriella Pogialli (elitefirenze@eliterent.com; 011-39-055-051-7310) at Elite’s Florence office. Imagine creating your own road rally, as this can be a group activity, or an individual one. Dining It’s hard to get a bad meal in Tuscany. A must is Ristorante Giglio (www.ristorantegiglio.com; 011-39-058349-4058; Piazza del Giglio 2). Try a little tortino with mouth-watering fughi porcini and ricotta, which you’ll remember well after your trip. Follow it up by the farro pasta and rabbit and a secondo of tender pieces of chicken and porcini, lightly coated in polenta and deep-fried. Antica Locanda dell’Angelo (www.locandadellangelo.it; 011-39-058-346-7711; Via Pescheria 21) is a local favorite, featuring recipes with a hint of Sicily created by the Cipolli family. Puccini (www.luccaonline.it/clienti/puccini; 011-39-058-331-6116; Corte San Lorenzo 1) is known for its Mediterranean cuisine. The restaurant is named for Lucca’s favorite son and has a menu heavy on fresh seafood. Shopping in Lucca The best shopping street in Lucca is Via Fillungo, in the medieval old city, where there are luxury boutiques and a mix of charm, quirkiness and chic. Dozens of enotecas dot the city, where it’s possible to buy Tuscan wines and local products. PALAZZO TUCCI‘s frescoed rooms, such as the Loreley Suite (shown here), contain original furniture, which creates the atmosphere of an ancient noble mansion. www.luxuryta.com January 2009 | LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR 11 http://www.pisa-airport.com http://www.aeroporto.firenze.it http://www.aeroporto.firenze.it http://www.eliterent.com http://www.ristorantegiglio.com http://www.palazzotucci.com http://www.palazzotucci.com http://www.locandadellangelo.it http://www.luccaonline.it/clienti/puccini http://www.luxuryta.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Luxury Travel Advisor - January 2009

Luxury Travel Advisor - January 2009 Contents Publisher's Letter Editor's Letter Lucca Egypt Provence Great Honeymoons Cover Story: Dan Flannery Girlfriend Getaways Croatia The Pulse Jetset Report Sightings Meetings & Incentives Supplement Aruba Turks and Caicos Los Angeles Laguna Beach, CA

Luxury Travel Advisor - January 2009

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