Today, both Michael and I had escort duty on the same tour. That doesn't happen too often, but when it does, we make the most of it. Liverno is the gateway to the Tuscany region of Italy and all the treasures it holds. Tuscany is surrounded by mountains; these mountains produce Carrera and white marble. The day started with rain and dark, heavy clouds. Our first stop of the day was to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Driving through the countryside, we passed Camp Darby, a US military installation, surrounded with concertina wire and umbrella pines. Our guide hinted that most of the activity takes place underground, but what activity she didn't know. Maybe I didn't understand her too well because she end every word with an "a," just like they do when someone does a parody of an Italian speaking English.
After a 45 minutes bus ride, we arrived in Pisa. The rain was more like a drizzle and the local vendors were selling umbrellas, and doing a good business. I bought a selfie stick. We then boarded a wheel-train, a tram in the shape of a train, to take us to the tower. You cannot drive to the Tower of Pisa.
So what exactly is the Leaning Tower of Pisa? In medieval times, all villages had a central religious square that contained a bell tower, a church, and a baptismal, three separate building. The buildings at Pisa were built around the 11th century. The Leaning Tower of Pisa was the bell tower. It is made out of white marble, is 150 feet high, and is empty inside. There is a walk around on the outside of the structure to get to the top. Today, there is a 17 degree lean. During the tower's construction, the foundation shifted before the third tier was completed. Architect Bonanno Pisano was devastated, but as they say, the rest is history. Efforts have been underway to stablize the structure with mixed success. Check another one off the bucket list.
We had a long drive from Pisa to Florence. Driving inland, the skies began to clear and by the time we arrived in Florence, we had sunny weather. Driving through the countryside, I saw many abandoned brick houses, open fields, gardens, and miles and miles of plant nurseries. Dotted on the hillsides were yellow, ochre, or pink houses with orange tile roofs and green trim.
We finally arrived in Florence, and being such an old city with narrow streets, we had to leave the bus and walk to the old part of the city. This city is the cradle of the Italian Renaissance, with a wealth of architectural and artistic treasures including works by Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Bottielli, and Michelangelo.
And we walked, and walked. I had a person in a wheelchair in my group, and that made for a stressful escorting assignment. They could not keep up with the group, and pushing a wheelchair on cobblestone streets is insane. I had to keep a lookout for both the guide (so I wouldn't get lost) and keep an eye on the folks with the wheelchair. Not fun!!! The crowds were thick and it isn't even tourist season yet. I can't imagine being here in the summer with throngs of people all vying for a place to take a picture.
Our first stop was to the Il Duomo, the best known site and crowning architectural jewel of Florence. Building was begun in 1296. Holy guacamole this place was enormous and decorated like nothing I have ever seen. It is so big, I could not fit it in one picture. I'll just show you the pictures. Inside, the place was rather sterile and modern considering the gingerbread on the outside. Our guide spent 45 agonizing minutes telling us about everything inside. Oh please save me; Michael's group was in and out in five minutes.
We saw the Academy of Fine Arts, Santa Maria del Fiore church, Piazza Signoria (government offices), Ponte Vecchio (the famous bridge over the Arno River), and Santa Croce church. I'm sure we saw more, but I disconnected my "whisper" audio device because I couldn't understand the guide. The faster she talked, the harder it was to make out what she was saying. My biggest disappointment was that I wasn't able to see Michelangelo's David. There was a copy outside where the real one stood before it was moved inside to keep it from being ruined by the elements. You need tickets well in advance to see the real one.
Finally, it was time for lunch at the Hotel Brunelleschi. Part of the hotel contains an old cylindrical tower known as La Pagliazza (the Italian word for straw). It derived its name from the fact that it was once a prison and inmates only had straw to sleep on. It is the oldest standing structure in Florence. Lunch was OK, and Michael and I didn't even get to sit with each other.
We continued on foot and wound up at the Piazza di Santa Croce. Michelangelo, Machiavelli and Galileo are buried in this church but we did not know this at the time because we had one hour to shop at the tourist rip-off joints. Michael found me and we sat and watched the throngs of people. I do not like shopping under these conditions, plus I was pooped.
It was time to rejoin the bus, that was "only a short walk away." Yea, right @#!@#$ Try like a mile away. By this time, I think the wheelchair was going faster than me. I eventually made it to the bus, the knees held up, and I am here to write about it. Here's a hint from me: take a private tour to really busy places. If you don't like what the guide is saying or doing, say "time to move on." Besides, you cannot do a place like Florence in one day. You need a month to see inside of the buildings to see the art, the graves, etc.
We are on to the next port.
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