Pisa - June 3, 2010

Leaving Florence – The day begins with the standard and nicely adequate breakfast at Hotel Nuova Italia complete with all the cappuccinos you can drink. The walk to train station takes very little time and there is no problem finding the track and car for the 9:30 am train. Our seats are not reserved and this works fine.

Stowing Baggage - In the Pisa train station we park our bags in the secure storage check - including our computer and extra camera gear. Perhaps this takes a leap of faith, but we have been assured by many travelers that it is safe. We head out on Rick Steves recommended walk through the city under gray but warm skies. The walk heads over the Arno River (the same one as in Florence?) is wonderful on narrow, picturesque streets that are pedestrian dominated (closed to thru traffic) and filled lots of little shops and restaurants hugging the stone streets. I can’t imagine taking a bus when the walk is so easy – about 30 minutes max.

Finding the Field of Miracles - We miss one of the turns on the Steves map and end up going in a different entrance to the Field of Miracles. No problem. We buy our tickets to the cathedral for $2E each and pop in for a quick visit. It’s another big cathedral loaded with monstrously stunning painted art murals, tombs, gold mosaic ceilings, fanciful pulpits, etc. All of the buildings have a frosted gingerbread look to them that is unique and pretty.

We opt not to walk up the leaning tower or enter anything else but merely wander around watching people in funny photo poses holding up the tower – Bob takes a couple of me doing the same, although I refuse to stand on my head like others do. We wander past the plethora of tourist shops and find a souvenir shirt for Sage. We grab a cheap panini to share ($2.50E) and a coke ($2E) for a lunch on the walk back to the train.


Errands along the Way Back to the Train Station - We get a little lost on our way back into town and end up taking a side street that doesn't get us where we think we should be. Instead we see apartments where students and Pisians(?) live. But no shortcut to town. We backtrack and eventually get headed in the right direction through the walking areas of the main town. Kay can't resist looking at more scarves/table runners and negotiates for a couple with a vendor. These woven bits of fabric continue to be a draw throughout the trip - more of an obsession, actually. Ten of them really are enough for anyone but - oh! - they are so intricate and colorful it is hard not to buy more.

We have determined that we should buy a can of shaving cream as we are about out. As we walk through town, we stop at a pharmacy shop. I ask for "shaving cream" which nets me a blank stare by the pharmacist. So I go through the motions of pointing to Bob and pantomining the act of shaving. They get it - and in reasonably good English tell us to get it at a Tabacchi Shop. Really? Tobacco shop? Sure enough, the tobacco shop - which actually carries all sorts of sundries in addition to cigarettes and newspapers - has some expensive cans of Gillette (about $4E or $6 U.S.).

Shaving cream and table runners stuffed in the backpacks, we go off to collect our baggage and catch the next train for the trip to La Spezia - and subsequently, the train to Manarola.