Nanda & Nathan The Travellers: Florence & Pisa, Italy (Day 2)

March 15, 2015 ---- Nathan and I spent our last day in Italy in Florence and Pisa. We planned to take a train to Pisa and spend a few hours there strolling around the Leaning Tower and then taking a train back to Florence in the afternoon. The plan almost had to be canceled due to a strike of the rail workers. We didn't check the train timetable billboard before purchasing the ticket, so we didn't know the strike was going on that day. It was also odd that the ticket machine didn't say anything about the trains being cancelled or block us from buying the tickets to those cancelled trains. So we picked the train and paid for the tickets and the machine dispensed the tickets for a canceled train....

After finding out about the strike, I was really disappointed and thought that we might never be able to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa on this trip. Moreover, I was really upset with the ticket machine and wanted to get my money back, so we went to the customer service desk to complain and return the tickets. There were a lot of people in line, but I tried to be patient and wait till our turn came. Suddenly, as we were talking to the guy at the desk, our train was back on schedule; it wasn't canceled after all. We ran to the train, hopped on and easily found a seat, but the train didn't leave till 45 minutes after schedule. Oh well....

After the train finally left the station, it took them only an hour to get to Pisa Centrale Train Station. I knew that Nathan was worried that we would have trouble getting back to Florence, but I wasn't at all; I didn't think they could completely shut down the entire train system. Well, as soon as we got to Pisa, we just strolled through the city center toward the Leaning Tower. The city was a lot more calm and quiet than Florence and Venice, and that made it enjoyable to stroll. It took only about 20 minutes to get to the Duomo Square where all the attractions are.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is very impressive. It's the bell tower of the Pisa Cathedral, and the construction of the tower started in 1173. Because the ground wasn't solid enough, the tower started to tilt in 1178 while still under construction. However, it was left unfinished for almost a century, and that allowed the soil to settle before they decided to add the top floors by building one side taller that the other. It 's pretty amazing that for many centuries, the tower has survived from all the wind and rain and is still standing prominently in the square. They also allow a limited number of tourists to climb up to the top of the Pisa Tower, but tickets are expensive.

Around the Duomo Square, there are the Cathedral and the Baptistry and a few museums to visit. Nathan and I bought a ticket to see the Baptistery which also included free entrance to the Cathedral. The Pisa Baptistry of St. John was constructed in 1152 to replace the old baptistry. In the center of the building there was a big baptismal tub with a St. John the Baptist statue standing in the middle. We climbed some steps to the upper floor and got a good view of the building. Pisa Cathedral is located in the heart of the Duomo Square. It was constructed in 1065, so it's the oldest structure in the square. The interior is as beautiful as the exterior, with white marble walls and stunning painting on the ceiling. No photography is allowed inside though.

In less than two hours, Nathan and I finished visiting all the major sites in Pisa. We decided to go back to Florence for lunch because I wanted to try a sandwich at one of the most recommended places on Yelp. We took a bus back to Pisa Central Train Station and bought a train ticket. The train was about half an hour late because it had to make more stops due to the strike and fewer services. However, we got back to Florence safe and sound.

We went to All’Antico Vinaio for our late lunch. There were two of them located right across from each other, and the lines to both were almost equally long. The original one must be the one on the right (shown in picture below) because more people went there, but they were the same since I saw their workers walking back and forth between the two shops transporting ingredients. Anyway, we got spicy salami sandwiches and they were really really REALLY GOOD! The sandwich size was huge and I was stuffed till way past dinner time.

After lunch we went to the Basilica of the Holy Cross Florence where a lot of famous Italians are buried, such as Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli. The basilica is very big and interesting, and it's the largest Franciscan church in the world. It was also believed that Saint Francis founded the church himself. Nathan and I spend about an hour walking through its many chapels and tombs. We found Michelangelo's tomb located in one corner of the church and Galileo's across the hall. These are the only two famous Italians I knew, but Nathan recognized more people than I did.

In the evening we went to the Accademia Gallery to see Michelangelo's masterpiece "David." The line was long and we waited for at least half an hour before we finally got through the security check. Rick Steves has a free audio tour of this gallery called " Accademia &Michelangelo's David" for download online. The Accademia Gallery also holds other art works of Michelangelo, but David is really the main piece people from all over the world come here to see with their own eyes. I would say that it is very impressive, but not like his "The Pietà" in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City.

After the gallery, we went to Grom for a gelato. We weren't hungry enough to eat dinner, so we decided to have the best ice-cream in Florence and go back to our room for rest. Not until close to 9 p.m. when the enormous sandwiches we had for lunch were finally all digested were we ready for dinner. We went to Za Za because it opened later every day and it was highly recommended on Yelp. Overall, the food was really good and not too expensive and the service was pretty friendly.

It’s the last day in Italy and I don't know when we will ever have the chance to go back there again. It's really my favorite country and I wish I could go there every year. The beautiful landscapes, historical sites, authentic Italian food and friendly people are all worth going back for.