Tuesday I took the train over to Pisa (about half an hour away) for the day, to see the famous Campanile, better known as the Leaning Tower, and guess what, it really does lean! Not that I expected anything less, but wouldn’t it be funny if the earth shifted and dropped the other side so that it no longer leaned? Then it could be known as the Campanile formerly known as Leaning.
As expected, it was very touristy (I can’t even imagine what it is like during the busy season). Even before you walk through the gates into the Campo di Miracoli (the field of miracles) and the first thing you see is the street lined with vendors selling every piece of cliché merchandise they can think of. Leaning Tower statues, snow globes, jewelry, clothing, and a t-shirt with Bart Simpson trying to push over the Leaning Tower, whatever you want to remember your few hours in Pisa, there it is. And not to be overlooked, are the food vendors obviously catering to the American crowd with their signs advertising hotdogs, hamburgers, Coca-cola, etc… If ever I wanted to be a tourist, this was the perfect place.
However, even though it was very touristy, when you look past that and past the crowds, the buildings with their intricate carvings and frescos are very beautiful. Works of art in their own right, and once again I took a ton of pictures. Here are a few that I enjoyed (I know, I know, almost 70 pictures is not a few, but for me it is).
I guess the strongest feeling I walked away with is gratitude that I am not doing this trip as a whirlwind, seven major sights in seven days, type of tour. I was glad to be able to return to my little corner of Italy, knowing that there is so much more to this country than what you see on a tourist map, and I still have several more weeks to just relax and enjoy it.
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2 comments:
that would be me - getting all that tourist crap that's prices are jacked way up for suckers like me. your pictures bring back memories of my trip - again to England. it's pretty amazing the detail that was put into buildings - the little pieces that go into stain glass windows, the stories behind them, it's like stepping back in time. does it seem that time moves slower there? it did to me - maybe it was the fact that no one was in a rush to do anything, which is lovely except when you are hungry! keep enjoying all the beauty - i love your stories.
WOW........I am in awe of these pictures. These structures are amazing. Your mind must be on overload by now. How does each day keep topping the last one. Incredible!!!
Enjoy each day little one. Aunt Karen
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