Pisa, Italy

After a good night sleep, we get a wake-up call at 5:30 am. By 6:15 we are ready to go and head to Pisa. We mentioned we were going to Pisa in the morning, so they had our car waiting for us when we came down. We stopped to get gas, coffee, and some water. We head up to Pisa on a local road. It is a pretty drive with lots of vineyards along the way. We arrive in Pisa early and park…we are almost the first to walk into the “compound” where the church, baptistery and tower are. The first thing we see is the Leaning tower. It is crazy…it really does lean (not that I didn’t believe it!). The tower was begun in 1173 and was finished 99 years later. The leaning is caused, we now know, because it was built on top of a weak foundation of silty alluvial soil from a former estuary. There are 294 steps to the top of the tower to see the panorama of the Italian countryside. At 8:30 am, Russell and I had the first tour of the day with one other couple. It was a narrow spiral staircase. We made it to the belfry. There was one more level to climb to reach the very top. Russell decided he was already far enough up, but I decided to go all the way. The next spiral staircase was even narrower than the first, my shoulders touching the walls on each side. I climbed slowly and arrived at the very top to see a magnificent view! After we climb down the tower and look around a little more, we decide to head back to Florence…we have a lot planned to see before sunset!

We drive back on the Autostrada and get stuck in a little traffic…but nothing to horrible. We drive straight to the Piazza Michelangelo. Piazza Michelangelo is on a hill on the south bank of the Arno River, just east of the center of Florence. Designed in 1869, it offers a great view of the city, and has a bronze replica of the statue of David. The view from here is spectacular and there are tons of vendors selling souvenirs and paintings everywhere. There are many tourists here, strolling along, enjoying the view and taking pictures.

After getting some pictures we decide to head back to the hotel. We drop the car off, freshen up, and head out on foot. We grab lunch at a Pizzeria and eat on the go. Heading towards Medici Palace, we stop to eat on the steps across from the Duomo. It is too hard to eat walking! We tour the Palace where the Medici’s lived (they were possibly the richest family in Italy).