My kids have reserved a place near Lucca for a one-week family vacation Aug. 1-8. The two of us - grandparents, active 70+ - want to spend more time in the area while we are there and have the option of arriving early, say July 28 and hanging out before joining them that Saturday.... or staying after the family visit, maybe Aug 9-12. We just knock around take day trips and eat good food, have seen enough cathedrals etc ..not sure if any national events, vacations, holidays, weather etc would be happening to make one preferable over the other. We plan to fly in and out of Pisa from the Midwest US. Thanks!