24 km north of Pisa. One of Italy’s most successful seaside resorts, planted on a 32-km ribbon of gritty orange sand which shelves gently into the Tyrrhenian Sea. A 3-km promenade separates beach from pine-woods, hotels and shops. High charges are levied for deck chairs and the like. Families pay up and look pleasant, observing that the sands are well-manicured, tidy and safe for children. Eight kilometres south is Torre del Lago, with Puccini’s villa, museum and theatre, where a Puccini festival is held each summer.