Pisa, Italy on June 25

Today was a travel day, ending in Pisa! We started our day with a 3 hour ride on the coach.  When we arrived in Pisa, we walked outside the walled part of the city...the wall surrounding the Piazza de Mercoli, and had lunch which was a great salad...and some pretty good fish!  This was at Da Nando.

From lunch, we walked into the Piazza de Mercoli...the Plaza of Miracles.  Most didn't keep walking to follow Amir, but stopped to stare at the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  The tower was started in 1064 A.D.  1064!!!  It was originally built to be the clock tower.  They used stones from buildings in cities they had conquered to build the tower, the baptistry, and the cathedral.  On the baptistry, we could see stones that had writing upside down...that's because the stone was originally part of something else.

The Baptistry

The Plaza is bordered with little shops ... souvenir shops...lots of souvenir shops.  The grassy area where the tower is located is off limits to people.  However, along the edges and on the grassy areas across from the tower, you see people in strange stances, people holding out one of both hands.  They're having their pictures made to look like they're holding up the tower.  We, of course, did the same thing...  When in Pisa, do as the Pisans do?  (I don't think that's exactly how the saying goes, but we'll adapt it for now!)

 The Cathedral

 These photos are inside the baptistry.

We had over 2 hours to explore the area on our own (delegates ALWAYS in groups of at least 3)... some tried and succeeded and some tried and failed to climb to the top of the tower.  After buying their tickets, some discovered you were suppose to be 18 years old to climb.  So...some went with an adult and some were able to get their ticket refunded - thanks to Steve's persistence!

 These photos are taken inside the cathedral...

 Back outside, you can see all these people standing on the posts 'holding up the tower'...

 The clouds were rolling in...and it made for a more dramatic background for the tower!

The gelato there was DElicious!

For 5 euros, you could tour the baptistry...and then tour the cathedral for free.  I think any building you paid to see, included the cathedral.

 

The McDonald's train...outside the walls of Pisa

From Pisa, we continued our journey to the sweet little town of Montecatini and Hotel Santa Barbara.  We climbed...and climbed...and climbed in the coach to get to the hotel.  The views from our building (all our rooms were in the same building) were stunning!  The restaurant...the dinner...oh my gosh.  We had THE best bruschetta I've ever had...followed by the creamiest, most delicious pasta!  I can't even remember what the main dish was - veal, maybe?  but the bruschetta and pasta were one NOT to forget!

Mackenzie and Marina didn't get to enjoy this dinner...but they had a surprise.  It was planned that they were getting picked up by Mackenzie's great uncle...but once they were picked up ... they discovered their MOMS were also there!  What fun for them!  They were off on their own adventure, returning just about in time for bed checks!

There was a gazebo in an area in back of the hotel...many of our delegates spent the evening there playing 'The Bachelor' and "Hitchhiker"...  I don't think I had laughed so hard in a long time as I did watching and listening to them!  What fun!

Italy...it's just so incredibly beautiful!