Monday, 24 October 2016

Monday 24th October - Pisa, Italy

We travelled from Siena to Pisa, once again risking the car’s suspension on the diabolical road surface of the Autostrada around Siena.  We wondered sometimes whether we were driving off-road.

After a quick spot of lunch we cycled in to Pisa for our first look at the town.  It’s been a while since we have been able to cycle so it felt good to be back on the bikes again.  When we reached the centre, which is only 1km from our campsite, we were pleasantly surprised at how beautiful the buildings were in real life, and the lean on the tower is quite dramatic up close.

                       
Battistero (Baptistery) in the Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles)           Pisa Cathedral (Duomo di Pisa) & Torre di Pisa (Leaning Tower of Pisa)

         We were still surprised by the spectacular lean

The campsite had kindly provided us with a map and walking tour itinerary of Pisa, so we followed this route around the town.  After the Cathedral and leaning Tower we cycled through the town weaving in and out of the crowds until we came to the Piazza dei Cavalieri, home to the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, the highest ranking university in Italy.  Also in the square is the Palazzo dell'Orologio.

         
          Palazza delle Carovana housing Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa                                                    Palazzo dell'Orologio

We were very disappointed with Piazza delle Vettovaglie as our tour sheet informed us that it was the beating heart of the city.  However, when we visited, most of the small shops and cafes were closed and, although it may not seem so in the photos, it all looked quite grubby and run down.  Maybe it is more lively in high season.

         
                                                                                                                 Piazza delle Vettovaglie
                                   Pisa Street view
Angela didn’t warm to the tow of Pisa although Roland dammed it with faint praise and said it was ‘OK’.

Note: Double-Click on photos for an enlarged view.  Feel free to post a comment on the blog.
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2 comments:

  1. Unknown6 November 2016 at 20:33

    Grandma and Grandad
    I thought the leaning tower of Pisa would be more leaning
    From William xx

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    Replies
    1. Angela and Roland7 November 2016 at 15:29

      Hi William,

      Thanks for your comment. Yes, we think that they had to do some work on the tower as they thought that it could start to lean too much and fall down. They had to correct some of the lean and strengthen it.

      However, it does look much more of a lean in real life than it does in the photos.

      Love from Grandma and Grandad
      XXX

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