After Pizza came Pisa

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My second day was in Florence was put aside to visit the famous tower in Pisa. Tourist trap or not, it was on my Italy bucket list and seeing as it is just an hours ride away from Firenze, it ‘had’ to be done.

Would have loved to have coffee on my ‘stoep’ but rain would not let me

Still a bit sniffely, I enjoyed sitting still for a while watching the countryside go by. It was overcast again but I braved my way to the Piazza dei Miracoli . And then it was in front of me in all its imperfection. I decided to take a chance and see if I can get a ticket to go up the tower *. And it was a Miracolo that I got the last single ticket for the morning! I almost never have luck like that.

I had to read this a few times before I saw the ‘hidden’ A. And then I understood 🙂 😊
Pisa

The tower that leans

I had to store all my stuff (and I had a lot, water, umbrella, rain jacket, padkos) except my camera in the most precious tissues🤧 before falling in line. And in line, you had to fall and behave, for soldiers are on duty at the entrance. Soldiers in full fancy dress with army vehicles nearby can be seen everywhere in Italy. One can’t help but wonder what bad thing might have happened for the armed forces presence everywhere.

Pisa
Trying to get a picture of the guards, but it was a bit difficult when you try to do it under the radar. Army presence can be seen all over Italy.

Anyway, I was let in without even an eye twitch in my direction, so I guess I seemed ‘safe’. That tower is truly leaning. You see it on all the pictures, but not until you stand next to it, do you really comprehend how much it leans.

I was marvelling at how crooked the thing was while stepping in, never thinking that duhhhh, the inside will lean as well. I did not even once think to adjust my step and completely lost my balance. It felt as If I was on a boat that suddenly keeled over.

So after picking myself up, both from stupidity and laughter at the klutz that I am, I tackled the well-worn marble stairs. It was a bit of a weird climb as you are not just spiralling upwards, but you are spiralling at different ‘leans’. Again it is like climbing stairs that wobble from side to side. But be assured, even for its lean-ability, there is no wobbling, That tower is pretty solid.

  • Well worn marble

  •  Piazza del Duomo.

It is windy up high!🎏

I got to the top surprisingly fast and was so amused by how weird the spiral was, that I did not have time to think of little spaces collapsing on me. I have a little issue with claustrophobia but never once felt claustrophised, which is not even a word but you know what I mean.

Stepping out it feels as if the wind will sweep you off your feet, and then you turn around and see the bells. Who knew? The gazilion pictures of people posing does not show the pretty bells. The pretty bels have a huge bark as I found it when they rang in tune.

Bet you would not have associated this view with the leaning tower

Picpocketed!

The cold made my nose want to run and I discovered that my pack of precious tissues were gone from my back pocket. Some infamous pickpocketer must have thought that it was a cellphone or camera in my back pocket and liberated me from it. Well, the joke was on him! That being said, I was shocked that I did not feel a thing. No wonder you are warned EVERYWHERE to ‘beware of pickpockets’. You will never know that they are there.

View from the top….
….and this guy has apparently fallen from there. Or was he pushed🤔

And then it was time to move on, back to Florence for some exploring and to buy some nose stoppers. For the all the ‘how to get to Pisa’ go here.

Back to Firenze

Back in Florence, I just strolled around under my umbrella, trying to find the previous night’s sights. Luckily the Duomo is easily found, although not as easily entered. People flock to there and at that point in time all tickets for the Duomo’s tower and cupola were sold out for the next week. But the exterior is still plenty impressive. Those green, pink and cream marble (I guess), makes you wonder how this massive thing was build all those years ago. Even though I did not go in, I was still pretty happy.

Door to the Duomo

Giotto’s Campanile
The Duomo Cupola from a weird angle
And just a small sidetrack, there was a Geocache here

Weirdness at the Duomo

Then a very weird thing happened. I used the Duomo as a landmark from which I should have been able to reach the river so that I can go across the Pont Du Vecchio. With my back to the Duomo, I walked in the direction that the river was supposed to be. And I kid you not, the Duomo came out in front of me!!

I have no idea how that happened, and I was a bit freaked. And after that I kept walking in circles. It was as if the streets formed an endless loop. But fear not, eventually I broke free of the loop and found the bridge. in the rain. What else!

  • Place a coin in its mouth and rub his nose
  • David by day
  • Pont du vecchio
  • Hiding leather from the rain
  • The “I was there’ photo
  • On the Pont du Vecchio

I explored as much as I dared in the rain, ducked under roofs, smelled the leather goods, saw people stare at the fake David and rub a boar’s nose. As it started getting dark (from nightfall this time not the rain), I headed home and decided to call it a day and try to sleep the cold off. For the next day would be the one that I was most excited about.

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