Pisa
Now matter how much we do here, it always seems like there is something else for us to see. Most places, after a week or so of going HAM, things start to slow down and the days becomes less and less full of activities. I miss the days where a simple post took just a few minutes to say we didn’t do anything but lay by the pool. Writing those is easy. Alas, we’re not at that point yet.
It is an overcast day today and up higher in the mountains you can definitely feel that it is fall. From our balcony, the view down into the valley is quite peaceful, but has me contemplating whether shorts and sandals season has come to an end. Hopefully not, as there’s plenty of time to feel cold and miserable when we get back to Seattle in a few weeks.
Today’s adventure takes us to Pisa, about an hour’s drive from our hotel. It is only 35 miles or so, but we’ve learned that driving anywhere here takes much longer than expected. The roads are good, but unless you are on the freeway, there are small towns every few miles and through each one you slow to a crawl. They also have the most confusing collection of traffic circles I have seen anywhere. Without Google Maps, we’d be totally screwed.
The slower speeds aren’t necessarily a barrier though given that we are driving a glorified golf cart. On the bright side, it gets excellent gas mileage and, once you open to sun roof, there’s plenty of head room.
The drive to Pisa is uneventful and, in a few spots where the scenery stands out, even quite pleasant. After all the effort though, we’re a little discouraged to see this we’ve come on a bad day. Nowhere in our guide books did it tell us to check the status before making the trip.
Entering the old city we’re happy to see things are still off-kilter as expected. When they say “leaning”, they really aren’t kidding. People much smarter than me can probably explain the physics for why this sucker is even still standing (and we’re seeing it after they already tilted it back almost 25% of the way), but on a windy day I know which side I’m walking on.
You can walk the 300ish steps to the top, but you need to ticket which gives you access at a specific time. While we are waiting, we check out the church. No surprise that it is over the top.
When our allotted time finally arrives, we head up the winding, noticeably slopped, staircase until we emerge at the top. The views are fantastic, but as you walk the perimeter your body constantly tells you that something isn’t quite right.
Next to the tower is a small museum that is focused mostly on the history of the church and the original sculptures that decorated it. After the museums we’ve been to in the past few days it doesn’t hold our attention as much as it otherwise might, but we find a jewel in the form of an empty courtyard where we can take a bit of a break from the noise and activity of the crowds. It also provides a great spot for a photo without having to shoot around the ever-present group of duck-lipped teenage girls who all think they are Instagram models.
We’ve been told that, aside from the tower, there isn’t a whole lot to do in Pisa and, having checked that box, the advice seems pretty accurate. We wander through a few shots, stop for some gelato (of course), and pop into the market for some essentials.
We see postcards of the tower all lit up and, since it is fairly close to sunset figure it is worth holding out for a bit longer. We grab dinner and then settle in on the steps of the church, waiting for the big event. And waiting. And waiting.
The good news is that the fully illuminated tower looks amazing.
The bad news is they only light it up once a year. On June 16th.
On October 19th, you get this. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
