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Livorno, Florence, PisaNov 23, 2008
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Livorno, Florence, and Pisa
November 23, 2008
We were up at 5:00 and off the ship at 7:15 on our way to Florence. It was a 1.5 hr drive through the Tuscan countryside. The buses cannot go down the very narrow streets of old Florence so this was a walking tour. We walked for hours marveling at the beautiful architecture and statues. We visited the Cathedral Duomo with its famous dome, the statue square where David used to stand, the Basilica where Michelangelo is buried, the old bridge, the pig market, and much, much more.
Lunch was served in Plazzo Borghese. This was the palace that Napoleon gave to his sister Pauline. It is still incredibly ornate and is not a restaurant; private parties only.
I need much more time in this city; there is so much to see. We only did an outdoor tour so I need to come back for the museums.
Following lunch it was off to Pisa to see the Cathedral and its famous Bell Tower. It is stunningly beautiful even if it does have an architectural defect. They have stabilized the tower so it won’t lean any further than it does now. They think it is good for another 200 years.
You can climb to the top but we didn’t have enough time (not enough energy either). It has 7 bells, one for each note, but they can no longer ring them as the vibration may do more harm to the tower.
The inside of the church is amazing. The ceiling is covered in 22k gold! Everywhere you look is another masterpiece.
At 4:30 we drove back to Livorno and the ship. I am very tired and tomorrow we are up early and off to Cannes, Nice, and Monte Carlo.
