On a warm, sunny morning, while the boys were busy building guitars, I drove with two of the wives to a nearby village in Bagni di Lucca – Lugliano. Having learned how narrow the village streets can be, we opted to park at the church

and discover the rest on foot. Lugliano dates back to 853 AD and as we had anticipated, the main road

soon became narrow, cobbled streets

full of wonderful surprises.

The village had a serenity, enhanced by the sunshine,

the four legged residents were testament to the tranquility.

The views across the mountains

and the valley below were spectacular.

I couldn’t resist the intriguing doorways

as we returned to our starting point.

The Chiesa di San Jacopo was magnificent when viewed from the village.

The wildflowers were lovely

and the gardens had colourful blooms.

We wandered up the road in the other direction

and discovered the village cemetery

with a striking view across the mountains.

It was time to return to Benabbio for lunch, with one last view of the Chiesa di San Jacobo.