We checked out of our room in CT this morning and had until 10pm to get to Bologna to catch our night train to Paris. We had to connect through Pisa and Florence so we decided we'd get a flavor of those cities.
Pisa was the first stop.
On getting out we checked our bags and headed to the leaning tower. As we wound our way through the streets, we passed a bookshop and I noticed that the new Harry Potter was out. Now, I could care less about HP. But Greg has been geeking out on it every time he saw a movie poster or book sign. I let him get about 20 steps beyond the store before I said something. They had an English version and Greg was content (this would prove fortuitous as we walked by later b/c the store was closed on the way back - though I could have made fun of him for missing it).
Finally we made it to the Leaning Tower of Pisa! Yup, there it is...leaning. The is seriously the least climactic site we've seen. Pisa is a dumpy town, with a dumpy tower that should just end the suspense and crush the moron tourists taking pictures of themselves "holding it up." We did do the traditional photos just to do it. Greg took his with one hand on the tower and the other holding up Harry Potter. We then went to the other side and took pictures knocking it over - now THAT'S a photo-op. Greg took his giving the tower a roundhouse and I took mine bull-rushing it. The pics were pretty funny.
Pisa did have one other redeeming quality - the gelato. I had a sour cherry gelato that I think blows away any ice cream I've ever had in my entire life. So there you go, spend about 2 hours seeing the dumpy town, leaning tower, and have a cone of gelato. After that go someplace classy like...
That after noon we spent wandering Florence.
We couldn't stay too long b/c we wanted to be sure to get to Bologna without missing our night train, but we were able to see Duomo and the battisero (baptistery). Duomo is a cathedral commissioned in the 1400s to be the most magnificent cathedral such that it could never be equaled. They may have succeeded. Instead of the traditional stone, the entire outside is an incredible tapestry of colors. Next door is the battisero, which has 2 enormous bronze doors known as Gates of Paradise. We didn't go inside b/c we had our packs with us, but it was still incredible.
Michelangelo's David is also in Florence, so we headed out to Accademia, an art school where David is kept. When we got there however, it was closed b/c it was Monday. Boooo! Oh well, we needed to get to the train station to get up to Bologna. We definitely dropped the ball on Florence (we should have spent a day or two), but it happens. Another place we'll have to come back to and give it it's full due.
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