Ovesto (wsest) from the Campanile

Schon, thanks for the use of your compass, it’s now been to places you haven’t !!

After a fortifying breakfast in our hotel, we set off to the information centre to book our trip to Pisa, tomorrow. The weather is clearing thank goodness and it should be a good sight-seeing day.

Then off to the Duomo for Pete’s long awaited tour of the pink, white and green marble façaded cathedral.  It is awesome in size, and not at all like the cathedrals of Venice, in that nothing sparkled and glowed golden in the Duomo.  It is all very understated and much easier on the eyes, but still with the usual array of Madonna and infant statues and paintings, and saints of all sorts adoring the walls.  The multi coloured inlaid marble floor is gorgeous.

Then we went on to the Campanile, a 414 step climb up the 82 m high tower, with breath-taking views – see photos.  Today has cleared and we could see for miles and miles in all directions.  The climb was very steep and very long.  We were both perspiring when we reached the top.  We could swear that there is a misprint in the Lonely Planet book – surely it’s 1,413 steps, and  not 413 as stated in this fine tome !!!

Nord (north) from the Campanile

Sud (south) from the Campanile

Est (east) from the Campanile

Then, with a vigour that I didn’t feel, Pete went to climb up to the cathedral dome, no less than 463 steps to the very top, where his camera promptly ran out of batteries !!! (Language, Pete!)    I stayed on terra firma, and went for a wander around the Baptistry, and took some photos of this beautiful building, again built out of green red and white marble.  It is one of the oldest buildings in Florence, and has three sets of doors with a series of panels which tell the story of humanity and the Redemption.  The panels are copies of the originals, which are on show in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, which we will visit tomorrow.

There are beggars all over the place, mainly old women who lie in the gutter and on church steps, with their aged pension cards on display, piteously begging for coins.  How they can lie on the freezing cold stones all day is beyond me.  We are asked not to encourage begging by not giving any money.  There are also groups of gypsies trying to sell all kinds of rubbish to unsuspecting tourists.  There are “shifty” looking groups of people all around this crowded tourist area.  It’s best to be aware and ensure that everything valuable is tucked away out of sight.

We walked over the Ponte Vecchio this afternoon.  Since the 16^th century it has been the home of jewelers when Ferdinando 1 de Medici ordered them to replace the very smelly town butchers who kept tossing unwanted leftovers into the river.  Like the Ponte Rialto in Venice, all that glitters really is gold, gold, and more gold.  Unfortunately Mussolini messed with history and had new large windows punched into the corridor walls over the bridge in 1941 so that his good mate Hitler could enjoy expansive views down the Arno river.  We didn’t see this damage – undoubtedly it is inside the gold vendors premises.

All that glitters is gold !

It’s a shower, dinner and bed for us.  More from Pisa tomorrow.

Ilze