Italiano Vivente 8

I can't believe it's been nearly a week since my trip to Italy began. The time has been filled with activity every day. Today, Pisa was the next stop on the agenda.

From what I had read about Pisa, I was not expecting the town to be so large. If you are interested in shopping for some name brand merchandise, head to Pisa. We walked through the shopping district on our way to the tower. The wares were plentiful and beautiful.

The Baptistery

Another thing that surprised me was how beautiful the Tower is! I had not done much research on the tower except to know that the renovations were for the most part over and it was open again for tourist access to the top. But, it is gleaming white with a beautiful exterior. It does lean as much as you might have seen in pictures, but to actually SEE it leaning was spectacular.

The Cathedral

The climb to the top was not too difficult. Patrons are allowed one hour in the tower--that includes the climb up, viewing and the climb down. And, that is about the exact amount of time that I used. The stairs are quite worn. The last few steps are about 18" wide, so the passage way narrows quite  bit. The "leaning" was very noticeable as I made my way to the top. As I made my way around the inside of the tower, I could tell which side I was on by the way my body chose to lean first towards one side then the other.

I would certainly encourage you to put Pisa and the Tower of Pisa on your list of "must sees".