Today’s trip to Pisa took us through the Tuscan countryside in all its autumnal glory.  It also took us through the township of Lucca that Ilze has chosen for our next destination, mainly because our last grandchild is called Lucca but the guide books also recommend it. It looked wonderful so bookings have been made.

Arriving in Pisa is a bit odd as tour buses are not allowed in the old town so we had to walk about 1km, running the gauntlet of touts, umbrella salesman and pickpockets.

Having survived this we arrived at the new gate built by the Medicis as the old ones were too small, this was also our reassembly , to meet between the gates and the MacDonald’s, even here.

The new old gate

On first sight, the cathedral, baptistery and campanile are built on traditional alignment with the exception that none of them are vertical.  Apart from the famous bell tower, its not as obvious for the others, until you are inside the cathedral and notice that the light over the nave suspended from the dome is not hanging vertically, which is of course not possible.

Not quite the usual alignment

On to the famous leaning tower, the name of the original architect is not recorded or perhaps he wished to remain anonymous. He only built the first three levels before absconding. A new builder, 100 years later, attempted to rectify the lean, hence the famous banana bend, finally the sculptor Pisano, added the upper floor and the cupola in a more or less straight line. Pisano also sculptured the pulpit in the cathedral and caved a small likeness of himself, kneeling and face averted, just in case.

The architect hiding amongst the saints

It’s still up.

Back to the bus, running the gauntlet once more. Eagle eyed Pete spots the two gypsies making their approach as we arrived at a congestion point.  Their first giveaway was the 45 yearold, breast feeding. I think the doll was glued to the teat.  The second was that her companion made a bit of a mess of the pulling out the blankest to wrap the “infant” as they jostled our French companion from the tour and I spotted the “mothers” hand going under the blanket and into the pocket.

I grabbed her and threw her away amidst really heroic shrieking.  We swore at each other for a couple of minutes before they gave up and turned away.

Highlight of the day really.

Back to Florence on the bus and then an hour doing our laundry so we can pack for the move to Lucca tomorrow.

Now it’s off to dinner, Pasta Pesce for Pete.