March 15, 2015 ---- Nathan and I spent our last day in Italy in Florence and
Pisa. We planned to take a train to Pisa and spend a few hours there strolling
around the Leaning Tower and then taking a train back to Florence in the
afternoon. The plan almost had to be canceled due to a strike of the rail
workers. We didn't check the train timetable billboard before purchasing the
ticket, so we didn't know the strike was going on that day. It was also odd
that the ticket machine didn't say anything about the trains being cancelled or
block us from buying the tickets to those cancelled trains. So we picked the
train and paid for the tickets and the machine dispensed the tickets for a
canceled train....
After finding out about the strike, I was really
disappointed and thought that we might never be able to see the Leaning Tower of
Pisa on this trip. Moreover, I was really upset with the ticket machine and
wanted to get my money back, so we went to the customer service desk to
complain and return the tickets. There were a lot of people in line, but I
tried to be patient and wait till our turn came. Suddenly, as we were talking
to the guy at the desk, our train was back on schedule; it wasn't canceled
after all. We ran to the train, hopped on and easily found a seat, but the
train didn't leave till 45 minutes after schedule. Oh well....
After the train finally left the station, it took them
only an hour to get to Pisa Centrale Train Station. I knew that Nathan was
worried that we would have trouble getting back to Florence, but I wasn't at
all; I didn't think they could completely shut down the entire train system.
Well, as soon as we got to Pisa, we just strolled through the city center
toward the Leaning Tower. The city was a lot more calm and quiet than Florence
and Venice, and that made it enjoyable to stroll. It took only about 20 minutes
to get to the Duomo Square where all the attractions are.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is very impressive. It's the
bell tower of the Pisa Cathedral, and the construction of the tower started in
1173. Because the ground wasn't solid enough, the tower started to tilt in 1178
while still under construction. However, it was left unfinished for almost a
century, and that allowed the soil to settle before they decided to add the top
floors by building one side taller that the other. It 's pretty amazing that
for many centuries, the tower has survived from all the wind and rain and is still
standing prominently in the square. They also allow a limited number of
tourists to climb up to the top of the Pisa Tower, but tickets are expensive.
Around the Duomo Square, there are the Cathedral and the
Baptistry and a few museums to visit. Nathan and I bought a ticket to see the
Baptistery which also included free entrance to the Cathedral. The Pisa
Baptistry of St. John was constructed in 1152 to replace the old baptistry. In
the center of the building there was a big baptismal tub with a St. John the
Baptist statue standing in the middle. We climbed some steps to the upper floor
and got a good view of the building. Pisa Cathedral is located in the heart of
the Duomo Square. It was constructed in 1065, so it's the oldest structure in
the square. The interior is as beautiful as the exterior, with white marble
walls and stunning painting on the ceiling. No photography is allowed inside
though.
In less than two hours, Nathan and I finished visiting
all the major sites in Pisa. We decided to go back to Florence for lunch
because I wanted to try a sandwich at one of the most recommended places on
Yelp. We took a bus back to Pisa Central Train Station and bought a train
ticket. The train was about half an hour late because it had to make more stops
due to the strike and fewer services. However, we got back to Florence safe and
sound.
We went to All’Antico Vinaio for our late lunch. There
were two of them located right across from each other, and the lines to both
were almost equally long. The original one must be the one on the right (shown
in picture below) because more people went there, but they were the same since
I saw their workers walking back and forth between the two shops transporting
ingredients. Anyway, we got spicy salami sandwiches and they were really really
REALLY GOOD! The sandwich size was huge and I was stuffed till way past dinner
time.
After lunch we went to the Basilica of the Holy Cross
Florence where a lot of famous Italians are buried, such as Michelangelo,
Galileo, and Machiavelli. The basilica is very big and interesting, and it's
the largest Franciscan church in the world. It was also believed that Saint
Francis founded the church himself. Nathan and I spend about an hour walking
through its many chapels and tombs. We found Michelangelo's tomb located in one
corner of the church and Galileo's across the hall. These are the only two
famous Italians I knew, but Nathan recognized more people than I did.
In the evening we went to the Accademia Gallery to see
Michelangelo's masterpiece "David." The line was long and we waited
for at least half an hour before we finally got through the security check.
Rick Steves has a free audio tour of this gallery called " Accademia &Michelangelo's David" for download online. The Accademia Gallery also
holds other art works of Michelangelo, but David is really the main piece
people from all over the world come here to see with their own eyes. I would
say that it is very impressive, but not like his "The Pietà" in St.
Peter's Basilica, Vatican City.
After the gallery, we went to Grom for a gelato. We
weren't hungry enough to eat dinner, so we decided to have the best ice-cream
in Florence and go back to our room for rest. Not until close to 9 p.m. when
the enormous sandwiches we had for lunch were finally all digested were we ready
for dinner. We went to Za Za because it opened later every day and it was
highly recommended on Yelp. Overall, the food was really good and not too
expensive and the service was pretty friendly.
It’s the last day in Italy and I don't know when we will
ever have the chance to go back there again. It's
really my favorite country and I wish I could go there every year. The
beautiful landscapes, historical sites, authentic Italian food and friendly
people are all worth going back for.
Pisa City
The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Torre pendente di Pisa)
Pisa Baptistery (Battistero di San Giovanni)
Pisa Cathedral (Duomo di Pisa)
Lunch at All’Antico Vinaio
Basilica of the Holy Cross Florence (Basilica di Santa Croce di Firenze)
Accademia Gallery (Galleria dell Accademia)
Gelato at Grom
Dinner at Zà Zà
