Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA
Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Ponte della Maddalena, "The Devil's Bridge," Borgo a Mozzano, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy

Near the village of Borgo a Mozzano stands the 1000-year old Ponte della Maddalena, or, in English, the Bridge of Mary Magdalene. It is also known as "the Devil's Bridge." The story being that the builders made a pact with the devil to help build the bridge. In return, the devil would receive the soul of the first to cross the bridge. The locals outwitted the devil by luring a pig across first. I am standing at the peak of the high arch span.  The distant mountains beyond the Serchio River are still snow-capped even with the warm weather this week.

Here's the bridge at dusk on a different day.

These bright yellow crops of canola/rapeseed adorn many fields in northern Tuscany right now and these were on the trip from Lucca north through the Serchio River valley to the bridge.

Look ma, no hands! But you'd better pay no attention to the red 18-wheeler bearing down at high speed from behind.  Bicyclists sharing these narrow roads with fast Italian automobile drivers appear to be both brave and fearless - and it is a rare road, rural or otherwise, where I have not encountered a bicyclist.

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