We left a little early for the station because we had to buy tickets. At the last minute, I moved up our departure from the hotel 5 minutes on the hunch that something might go awry, alla Italiana. Sure enough, we barely made the train. Here's what happened. The ticket machine didn't accept my credit card. Three times. Then it wouldn't accept my ATM card. Then it wouldn't accept cash. We changed ticket machines once in the middle of all that. Finally it accepted Dee's credit card and we headed for the track with ten minutes to spare, or so we thought. After going through security to track number 1, we found that that track was off to the side but the door to get there was locked. So we had to exit and go around, with thousands of our best friends. Then we had to re-enter security with lots of frantic folks trying to get to our same train. We made it with one minute to spare, onto the first car which everyone piled into, afraid it would take off. Dee and Chiara found seats, and I walked up to the next car which was less crowded. It was 50 minutes nonstop to Pisa, and all went well.
Our seatmates were two sixty-ish men. They looked very artistic and hip. I tried to make conversation with them, but once I pulled out my knitting, they got really excited. The one next to me not only knits, but he also spins and dyes his own yarn. He knew I was using Addi brand needles and magic loop, and that opened him right up. He says in Australia where they're from, the selection is small, so that's why he spins and dyes. Unfortunately, we only had a few minutes to talk.
At the station we grabbed a taxi. The driver was from Pisa, very nice. She said that the leaning tower was by far their most common destination. It was only 9€ for the ride of about 10 minutes. We asked her what else there was to see in Pisa. She kind of hesitated and named a couple of museums and the main cathedral, without much enthusiasm. That rather matches what we found online for tours, with the tower being the only big draw. I explained that, when we came there in 1979 as newlyweds, the tower was closed to visitors because it was leaning too much. She said that it took decades for them to right it enough to match what it was in 1850 and then reopen it. She joked that they didn't want to straighten it completely or nobody would come.
The tower is indeed leaning a whole lot, not just a little. Chiara and I don't do heights well, so we opted not to wait in line and climb it, but just to walk around and enjoy the views. It is really worth seeing. Apparently it started leaning early in the 200-year construction, but they kept going. The baptistery across the way also leans just a little bit, so maybe the soil just isn't very firm. Anyway, it was very worth the trip.
When we got back, after a nice quick lunch on the walk back to the station in Pisa (Chiara's first toasted caprese sandwich) and a chance to get warm), I stayed in the hotel to rest and warm up some more, while the girls went out shopping. For dinner we went to Mama Napoli, a pizza place not far away, so that Chiara could try pizza alla Napoletana. It was terrific. There's nothing like Neapolitan pizza. It uses a certain flour and water, has to be a certain size, with a raised edge. But best of all, it's cooked at 800 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 seconds. The results are heavenly. She had her first arancino too. She needs to have one in Napoli to get the true experience. After that we hit the bank to get some cash, and my ATM card worked flawlessly. We use Banca Nazionale di Lavoro, a partner of ATM, to avoid the foreign transaction fee, and there was a branch not far from the restaurant. On the walk back we stopped at a nearby gelateria and enjoyed some gelato, despite the cold. I have always wanted to get one of those fancy cones with the chocolate and nuts around the edges, so I splurged. Their lemon ice cream was great! Mine was huge. I still wasn't hungry the next morning!
When we got back to the hotel, there was an email from church travel with our reservations to come home on March 21. The flight gets in at almost midnight, so it will be a very long day. I called Delta and was able to upgrade our seats to get some leg room for me on both legs of the trip. It took a while, but they finally did it: money well spent in my estimation -- the alternative might have been knee surgery after a day in coach seats <g>. They also told us that an extra suitcase (beyond the two each that the church pays for) is $285, and we may well need to do that to get all of our stuff home.
By then it was time for bed, with a big day in Venice coming up. So far Chiara's visit is going very well: lots of tourist sights in not many days.
While Doug rested at the hotel after Pisa, Chiara and I walked to Gemme Liolina, a jewelry store that our tour guide had recommended. There were times we were on dark, deserted streets, which is a little creepy. But the place was a pleasant surprise. The owner, Elena Liolina, was clearly intelligent and in tune with the customer. The selection was thoughtful and vast. I wish I had had more time there.
Chiara likes to get a little keychain-size bear with I heart [town] for each place she visits. It wasn't easy to find one this time. When she did, the man at the kiosk asked if she was cold. She was in short sleeves, as usual. Not cold. While we were out, I bought a scarf for Doug to try for the first time. Venice is cold.
Meanwhile, Anziano Castro phoned us, looking for a key for the sorelle. I don't know the whole story, but we couldn't help in our current location.
Doug's seminary class is so popular that Junior Cadena asked if there was class this week. He was disappointed to have to wait until January 11.
There are beautiful lights at night for Christmas season. After all, Florence is a tourist town.
Chiara finally wore a jacket for the first time. Briefly.
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| A model being photographed |
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| Lights in downtown Florence |
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| Corn-cob pipes from Missouri |
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| This is called "Fallen Angel". It's contemporary. |