Last day of excusions from our ship. Today, we head to Piza and Florence. That is if I can get out of bed! As soon as we arrived in Pisa, Jim, noticed that the tower was leaning to one side. After a few scientific calculations he got it straightened out. Just kidding, photographic perception, don't you know :) Anyway dispite the fact that Piza has become synonomous with the Leaning Tower, the story is so much larger. Though it took many years, even the better part of a century, to complete, the main architectural stucture of the Duomo is comprised of three buildings The Tower, The Bassilica and the Cathedral. The three buildings work in unison to portray the Divine Trinity, being The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is said that the area on which these buildings lie has always been consecrated ground but that the architecture is "a dialogue between Heaven and Earth" and is the culmination of its history as a gathering and worshipping place for many cultures and peoples. It is another one of those places where the old and the new exist side-by-side, but it is hard at times to discern the difference. They are dedicated there that the purposeful architecture should be handed down from generation to generation. Not too much time to spend here so we just enjoyed a little pizza...yes...we DID have pizza in Pisa... and of course, some frothy hot cuppacino. Back on the bus and began the long drive to Florence.
The bus had to drop us off quite a distance from the City center, but the walk into it was along the River Arno which made it pleasant. Unfortunately I had to walk with my head down most of the way in order to prevent myself from tripping on hte uneven cobblestone sidewalks. Afterall, it is hard to look continentel and sophisticated if you are sprawled across the sidewalk. But, fortune was on my side and we made it in without incident. The center of the old city is a square, typical of most cities, surrounded by other squares and built out from there. This is Croce Square in honor of Saint Croce, not Jim Croce as some of you children of the 70's might have assumed :P First order of business... lunch. The tour guide had made reservations for us at one of the local cafe's so we headed to Finesterra's. Even the simplist of foods tastes better when you dine within the old stone walls and vaulted ceilings of these European eateries. Jim had some Zuppa Tousona (sorry Olive Garden, but NOT EVEN CLOSE) and the lasagna. I had a Winter Cabbage (Kale) and Garlic Crostini and Taggliatelli pasta with Bolagnaisse Sauce. I know you all must be thinking that with all the eating, we must have gained about 50 pounds so far, but actually it is not that way. I think that it has more to do with the "lifestyle" of the European countries. Portions are much smaller, dinners are not often accompanied by a lot of sides and you basically have to walk everywhere. So it is more balanced. Also, they eat smaller meals much more often then we Americans tend to do. At least 4 actual small meals a day with little bites in between. Helps to keep the motabolism at a more constant burn. I must say... it seems to work. I think we will probably continue this way even at home.
As Jim and I have slightly different agendas, he went off to photograph the area and I went off to soak in all the history and culture and beauty... shopping for beautiful things IS a cultural event, right! Actually, it was fabulous just to walk through the square, stopping into little shops and picking out momentoes to bring home. One shop even held an Olive Oil Tasting. So many flavors from one single source. Just like wine, the harvest times, pressings, aging process and types of aging barrels all contribute to the final taste of the oil. It is a hard job tasting all the varieties but I didn't want to seem rude so I managed to persevere. I also found some hand=painted goblets a apir of genuine Italian leather gloves lined with cashmere and a few other trinkets. Then I sat in the square watching people going about their daily chores. People watching is one of my favorite activities so I was completely happy to spend some quiet time there.
Jim. armed with his map and camera had headed off awhile ago. Here are a few of the scenes that he captured on his trek around Florence:
As soon as we arrived in Pisa, Jim, noticed that the tower was leaning to one side.
After a few scientific calculations he got it straightened out. 
Just kidding, photographic perception, don't you know :) Anyway dispite the fact that Piza has become synonomous with the Leaning Tower, the story is so much larger. Though it took many years, even the better part of a century, to complete, the main architectural stucture of the Duomo is comprised of three buildings The Tower, The Bassilica and the Cathedral.
The three buildings work in unison to portray the Divine Trinity, being The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is said that the area on which these buildings lie has always been consecrated ground but that the architecture is "a dialogue between Heaven and Earth" and is the culmination of its history as a gathering and worshipping place for many cultures and peoples. It is another one of those places where the old and the new exist side-by-side, but it is hard at times to discern the difference. They are dedicated there that the purposeful architecture should be handed down from generation to generation. Not too much time to spend here so we just enjoyed a little pizza
...yes...we DID have pizza in Pisa... and of course, some frothy hot cuppacino. Back on the bus and began the long drive to Florence.
