April 21st, 2016

For as long as I can remember, I have desired to go to Tuscany. When Hubby and I first got married, I dreamed of celebrating our 10th Anniversary in Italy. I imagined myself wearing a sundress and riding a bike with a basket attached to the front. As our 10th Anniversary approached, our oldest was just shy of nine months and I knew that Tuscany would need to wait. I watched one of my favorite movies, Under the Tuscan Sun, and continued to dream. Over the years, the desire to go to Tuscany never left me.

Back in February, I started researching a discount airline for E’s Spring Break and found incredibly cheap tickets to Pisa, Italy. Shortly after, I checked out a few travel books on Italy from the library. As I was reading through one of them, I realized Pisa is actually in TUSCANY!!!! I couldn’t believe it! I worked on putting together a rough itinerary as I learned more about Pisa and the surrounding areas. We vacillated on taking the train to Florence but eventually decided against it for this trip. Instead, we chose to see the major sites of Pisa and spend a few days in Lucca with a day trip to the Pinocchio Park in Collodi.

On Monday, April 11th, we took a late flight down to Pisa (thus the discount tickets). Italy is on the same time zone we are and our flight was about an hour and a half long.The boys had more energy than either of their parents when we made it to our hotel. We eventually settled in our beds and fell asleep sometime around midnight.

After breakfast on Tuesday morning, we stored our luggage at our hotel and headed out on foot to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of miracles). We took a thirty minute walk through some lovely streets, seeing a couple of sites along the way. Suddenly, we came around a corner and THERE IT WAS…the famous, Leaning Tower. However, from the direction we first approached from, it didn’t appear to be leaning too much.

 

 

 

Once we walked around to the the front, the tilt became more apparent! The construction of the Torre, started in 1174. It was built to be the bell tower of the adjacent Duomo (Cathedral of Pisa). Due to shifting soil that destabilized the tower’s foundation, it begun to lean by the time its builders got to the third story in 1178. We did not pay to walk up the tower because children under eight are not permitted. We’ll save that for another visit some day!

Instead, we toured the Baptistery and the Duomo which also lean but not as significantly as the Torre. The Baptistery is the largest one in Italy. We took the stairs up to the top level and enjoyed the view.

 

 

The Baptistery is known for its AMAZING Acoustics. I read in a guide book to ask a guard to sing when you go. When I inquired about this, I was told there would be a demonstration shortly. We took a tour of the Cathedral and then returned in time to hear this…

Just outside the grounds of the Piazza dei Miracoli, we found a wonderful food stand. We got our food to go and enjoyed a picnic lunch on the grass, near the Baptistery. The boys entertained themselves chasing pigeons while we sat back and enjoyed the views.

 

 

Before leaving the grounds, we flexed our muscles and did what we could to help in the preservation of one of Italy’s most famous landmarks. We tried a couple of different angles and trust me, we weren’t the only ones. (Cue the music… “Lean on me when you’re not strong and I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on…“)

 

 

 

We caught a bus back, grabbed our bags from our hotel and walked to the train station. We bought tickets to Lucca, boarded our train and settled in long enough for lil S to catch a nap in his Daddy’s arms. He was refreshed and ready to go again when we arrived.

Lucca is considered a “gem” and we certainly found this to be true! It is surrounded by a 16th-Century, stone wall with gates that serve as ports of entry. We entered through St. Peter’s Gate, one of the more elaborate ones, and proceeded to walk through the maze of streets to the lovely apartment hubby found us in the Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro.

 

 

 

We ate pizza for dinner and enjoyed our first taste of gelato for dessert. Gelato is Italian ice cream. A small amount carries the riches of flavors. I could write an ode to this delicious creation. Its truly a party for your taste buds!

Since our apartment came with a small kitchen, I asked our waitress for directions to a market. I got the first few turns correct before leading us in the wrong direction. We wondered down quaint, narrow streets for awhile. Just when we were ready to call it a night, I looked down and saw this sign. I couldn’t believe it! THANK YOU Jesus! We picked up a few items for breakfast and headed back.

 

Before I closed the shades to our room, I took in the view out the window. Our first day in Italy and already, my heart was full. Bellissimo!