thirtyseventhousand
Monday, October 24, 2005
Saturday October 22- At Last, Some Tuscan Sun
We woke up early and enjoyed our now daily ritual of "due cappucino" at the
local cafe. Weary of the crowds and rain in Florence, we decided to take the train
to Pisa, which was appoximately one hour away.
After some frustrations dealing with the so-called "Biglietto Veloce" (fast ticket)
machines that didn't work, we purchased our tickets to Pisa and were on our way to see that famous monument that has graced so many pizza boxes - the Leaning Tower of Pisa. One hour later, we arrive at Pisa Centrale and what do we do? Stop at McDonald's for cheeseburgers and fries. I guess we were hungry for something from home. We walked off our lunch as we made our way to the Campo de Miracoli, where the Tower, the Baptistry, and other buildings I can't remember the name of. We walked around for awhile - me soaking up the sun and warmth - and then bought tickets to ascend the Tower an hour later.
After a quick lunch at a local cafe, we made the "arduous" climb of the Tower, although I was actually disappointed that it wasn't more difficult. It was really no more strenous than what I do three times a week on my walks with my friend MaryAnn.
The view from the top of the Tower was breathtaking - a 360° view of Pisa and surroundings. After climbing down the tower, we took a well-deserved gelato break and talked about coming back to Tuscany, as the scenery we saw on the train was amazing.
Back in Florence, we walked around the open air market near Mercato Centrale and
bought some souvenirs as well as some designer fakes for ourselves. I bought a $5 Euro "Gucci" purse, and Michael bought himself a $30 Euro "Cartier" watch. But then he decided that he didn't like the Cartier and was able to pursuade the vendor (who are all from Nigeria, I believe) to let him trade it in for a Mont Blanc plus an additional $20 Euro. It felt seedy and weird yet kind of thrilling at the same time.
After our market tour, we bought some pasta takeout and headed to our room for a quick dinner and packing up for our trip to Rome.
Next - read about the trip to Rome, navigating Rome, and magic of the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary. ¶ 6:29 AM 2 comments
local cafe. Weary of the crowds and rain in Florence, we decided to take the train
to Pisa, which was appoximately one hour away.
After some frustrations dealing with the so-called "Biglietto Veloce" (fast ticket)
machines that didn't work, we purchased our tickets to Pisa and were on our way to see that famous monument that has graced so many pizza boxes - the Leaning Tower of Pisa. One hour later, we arrive at Pisa Centrale and what do we do? Stop at McDonald's for cheeseburgers and fries. I guess we were hungry for something from home. We walked off our lunch as we made our way to the Campo de Miracoli, where the Tower, the Baptistry, and other buildings I can't remember the name of. We walked around for awhile - me soaking up the sun and warmth - and then bought tickets to ascend the Tower an hour later.
After a quick lunch at a local cafe, we made the "arduous" climb of the Tower, although I was actually disappointed that it wasn't more difficult. It was really no more strenous than what I do three times a week on my walks with my friend MaryAnn.
The view from the top of the Tower was breathtaking - a 360° view of Pisa and surroundings. After climbing down the tower, we took a well-deserved gelato break and talked about coming back to Tuscany, as the scenery we saw on the train was amazing.
Back in Florence, we walked around the open air market near Mercato Centrale and
bought some souvenirs as well as some designer fakes for ourselves. I bought a $5 Euro "Gucci" purse, and Michael bought himself a $30 Euro "Cartier" watch. But then he decided that he didn't like the Cartier and was able to pursuade the vendor (who are all from Nigeria, I believe) to let him trade it in for a Mont Blanc plus an additional $20 Euro. It felt seedy and weird yet kind of thrilling at the same time.
After our market tour, we bought some pasta takeout and headed to our room for a quick dinner and packing up for our trip to Rome.
Next - read about the trip to Rome, navigating Rome, and magic of the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary. ¶ 6:29 AM 2 comments
