Leaning on Pisa

Sorry...no photos! But fantastic day! We woke up and decided that today was the day to go to Pisa to see the famous Leaning Tower.

It was quite a hike from the train station, we were wandering through small streets, big streets, then all of the sudden....it was right there in front of us! The tower is just one part of an entire complex of four buildings that date to the 1100s, the Cathedral, the Baptistry, a Palace, and the Bell Tower (Leaning Tower). The entire square was jam packed with tourists from all over the world, but it didn't detract from how beautiful everything was.

Pisa was a very powerful port city and you can see the influences from Spain and elsewhere in their architecture. The site that the four buildings was actually the ocean at one period of time and excavations have uncovered several ships in the area. So the Tower was built on land that actually has water underneath it which has caused it to sink and lean. It began leaning during the construction of the fourth level. After a short period of time, it was completed although it continued to lean.

In 1991, the Tower was closed to do massive reconstruction work because the Tower was inevitably going to collapse.

Today we spent lots of time, with everyone else, taking funny pictures with the Tower. Pushing it over, holding it up, blowing it down, etc.

Today we actually ate out as well! Big spenders! We enjoyed a nice lunch in a restaurant just around the corner from the complex. Two types of tortellini and they were both delicious!

All in all, wonderful day and we wish we could post some of the photos! Tomorrow we are heading to Sienna to see some of the Tuscan countryside!
MWA!