Day 6, Leaning Tower of Pisa

Day 6, Pisa, and Lake Maggiore.  Our itinerary for the day says  stop at Pisa for the Leaning Tower from which Galileo is said to have conducted experiments on velocity and gravity.  See the splendid cathedral and baptistery decorated with mosaics.  Journey past the marble quarries T Carrara, used since the time of Ancient Rome.  Travel through the Apennine Mountains to the fertile valley of the River Po. and continue to your lakeside resort on beautiful Lake Maggiore.

The town of Pisa is one of the areas where tour coaches aren't permitted.  We toured several areas where the coaches have to park some place outside the city, and tourist need to walk in, or find other transportation.  From memory, believe this was the 2nd time the coach had to leave us outside city limits.  Partially due to the distance, and perhaps because of our lady in the wheel chair, Vivian; arrangements were made to ride these little trains into the area where The Leaning Tower of Pisa,  and Cathedral were.  We weren't the only tour group here that morning, so the trains must be common place.

And even after you leave the train outside the walled area, you still must walk to your actual destination.  ERnie in right foreground.

As you approach, you see the Cathedral on your left and The Leaning Tower beyond.  They look connected in this picture, but they aren't.  It's just the distance.  But, comparing it to the building near it, you see better how much it's leaning.

A different view where were almost in front of the Cathedral, gives you a feel for the size.

We considered briefly doing the shot where you find the right spot and look like you're holding it up, but the line of younger folks waiting to do that...we moved on.  The Leaning tower is the bell tower for the Romanesque Marble Cathedral, built in 1372.  Even at the time it was built, it leaned.  Later due to it leaning so much Italians were afraid it would fall over, devices were used to secure it.  Over time it was beginning to straighten the tower......which would ruin the tourist attraction, so alterations had to be made to allow it to continue to lean.

The Cathedral was beautiful even from the outside, and as you can see the line to enter was long, so was the line to buy the ticket to enter.  Knowing our time table here, we elected to walk around the community instead.  I don't believe anyone in our group made it inside the Cathedral.  There was also a long line to use the bathroom, which was one of the many paid public toilets we encountered during our travels. (more on bathrooms in a later post)

One of the side streets with shops and places to eat.  We were there early enough, many weren't yet open for the day.

This was gorgeous.  Look at the wooden wheels!  I couldn't read the sign posted with it, but we assume it's for hire to site see from.

 Some views out the window of the coach.

We're approaching Lake Maggiore.  We did pass the marble areas mentioned in the itinerary for the day.  It was visible from the coach, but not such that a picture was obtained.  A very steep hillside where marble was selected and the difficulty of getting the marble to the artist/builder etc was discussed.  We could see very primitive roads off in the distance.

**Pop back in for Lake Maggiore.

Happy HALLOWEEN

Let's Travel back in time with the help of a time machine..........to a time of black and white, a time of homemade Halloween Costumes.  

Me on the left wearing a very itchy burlap dress my Mom made.  I was an Indian Princess.  My long braids were a black scarf that I used for years as a black scarf.  

In the middle, my younger brother as a bunny.  I don't remember what Mom used to make his costume...fabric wise, but she was quite a seamstress.

On the right is my older brother as a Hobo.  What's nice from memory is none of us wore a mask, so we could easily breath and see where we were going.  We're standing in front of the family TV (yes family tv, there was just one, like in most households).

The location, Marion Ohio...date?  Well, not sure but am guessing somewhere around 1955 ish?

As we travel back in time, I'm reminded how different the holiday was celebrated then.  There were no parades, no parties at school...after all you went to school to learn, not to have parties.  You went door to door in just your neighborhood and parents stayed at home in the house, so they could pass out the candy.  You always were invited into someone's house, cause you knew them and they knew you.  They pretended to guess who you were, why you'd chosen to be.......whomever it was you'd chosen to be...AND, you always said Trick n Treat, and you always said thank you.

In my neighborhood now, parents are always with their kids, kids get driven from neighborhood to another to collect more, most kids are wearing store bought costumes, there is no neighbor to neighbor conversation.  Most kids don't say thank you, and sadly most parents don't make them.  Most schools have parties and parades so the kids typically celebrate either the whole day or multiple days......perhaps overload?  Perhaps too much.  Simpler might be better.


PLEASE leave me a comment when you come visit, so I know you were here. Your visits and comments are very special to me.

Day 5, Florence Birthplace of The Renaissance

 Night 4, Continued.

After our wonderful diner at Dianella Vineyard, we boarded the coach and made our way to our next lodging.  Grand Hotel Tamerici E Principe in Montecatini.

Our room didn't look that nice.  We arrived after dark and had a hard time making our way to our room as the halls weren't lite..not sure what that was about.  But, a bad start.  We've opted for twins so they weren't together as in the hotel's picture.

Day 4, Continued Fattoria Dianella and Montecatini

You saw Ern and I just as we were observing the pretty hillside view of the vineyard in the previous post.  This was our Dine at Home experience.  Which means a local invites you to dine in the home...in this case her Mediciean villa.  Veronica welcomed us and told us a bit about her family, and the vineyard.

We had a tour where a member of her staff explained the process of making wine.

The types of grapes they use: Sangiovese, Colorino, Vermentino, Malvasia, and Sabernet Sauvignon.

Then we settled in to do some wine tasting and have a delicious meal, that seemed like it would never end.  One course after another paired with appropriate wines.  Fantastic meal, and lots of fun.

 Lots of folks having a good time.

In a beautiful setting, with good food and wine.

This group was paying attention!  This was an included item in our tour, not an optional pay extra item.

Can't take credit for this lovely photo, it's from their website.  We walked around outside for a few minutes, while some were in the wine cellar (yippee my hubby Ernie was) buying wine.

Wonderful photo of Veronica and her husband Francesco.  Also from their website.  Please take time and visit their page.  It's a B & B.  You can stay there, you can go taste wine, you take cooking classes there, and you can buy wine!!

This is me...excited as our case of wine from Dianella winery arrived yesterday!  We opened one last night at dinner.  Naturally we were having a pasta dinner!

Day 4, Medieval City Siena, Tuscany

Siena, depending on your route from Rome it's a 2.75 hours to 3.5 hours.  Day 4, our itinerary indicates we'll be traveling north to medieval Siena, and stroll through the winding stone-paved street to the vast Piazza del Camp, where the Palio takes place.

Ok, so far we are indeed winding our way you can see the cobblestone (sure played havoc with Vivien's wheelchair).  Up and down hills, and around and around and through.........be ware of traffic.  As you see it's tight.  Siena was named after Senius, the son of Remus.  You might remember Remus and Romulus are said to be the brothers that founded Rome.  You'll see lots of statues and emblems, a she-wolf who suckled Remus and Romulus.