Hiking with Mara and Chris

Day before yesterday, I finally got to hike with some friends who are big hikers. I’ve been it out town or they’ve been busy, but finally we did it. I’m hoping we do a lot more!

Mara and Chris chose a wonderful loop hike above Camaiore, which is the next town towards Lucca from where I live. They know all the hikes and history of the area, and there’s a lot (of both).

Right at the start of our hike (if I recall correctly) was this memorial spot. It’s still visited and kept up.

Once we got up away from road, the first place we came to was Castello Montecastrese, an important lookout village in the 1100s. The Lucchese conquered it in the 1200s and broke the tower in two, which you can see lying on its side.

You can see the walls of the houses and the walls around the village, some of which are now terraces.

Of course the views are incredible.

Further along was a cross that is lot every three years when the area has a night of illumination for Easter. Next one 2022. The small jars will be filled with oil and are visible for miles.

After that, we walked down to a stream and up the other side.

This area, called Candalla, was an important manufacturing area, with gunpowder factories using the stream’s water to power their machines. Abandoned now, the walls remain.

It’s very strange to hike along mountain trails, with steep jagged peaks towering above, and yet to be reminded of three people who have lived here for venture centuries. I felt like I was an explorer in the Amazon jungle.

Further along was also an old pastificio factory (pasta making) and it too has been left to nature. Hey, this was a happening place in the 1500s!

Our goal was to get to the village of Casoli for a caffè, which we did. I’d ridden my bike to this town but hadn’t ever walked around. Turns out 10 or so years ago, the locals (one of whom was an important painter) decided to create their own mural paintings. Now they are scattered all over town.