Day Three; Port Two
Lovely Livorno
Florence, Italy
Our next stop was Livorno, Italy, which is the stop for Pisa
and Florence. Seth was almost euphoric
about visiting the Leaning Tower in Pisa and could hardly stay in his skin. On this trip we had a larger private tour
with Sarah's mom and dad, Mike and George Anne Brown, and her sister and her
husband, Christopher and Micah Bluto.
Mike, Sarah's dad, has horrible arthritis and is wheelchair bound. This poses several obstacles when it comes to
touring. He found a really cool travel
scooter that was light weight and offered very impressive maneuverability. And, it folded up and sat neatly in the back
of the van. I will discuss how
successfully he was able to tour as the story progresses. We met on the pier and walked out of the gate
to meet our new guide for the day, and up to that point I thought the day was
cloudy, but when we met Elizabetta, I know there is nothing but sunshine and
lollypops in her life. She met us with a
smile that would impress a Texan, and a bubbly personality that would shame the
finest French Champagne. The best
description I can use would be a fiery
volcano who loved to laugh. She was the
stereotypical Italian, who spoke with both hands, even if she was driving. With her spontaneous outbursts of
"Mama Mia!" we discovered that Elizabetta was going to be a hard act
to follow. She gave us a tremendously
detailed description of Italian politics, history, and current events, and made
the tour an absolute delight. We would
continually laugh when she would tell a joke and crack herself up. She knew exactly where to take us for our tickets, she knew when and
where to pick us up, and she gave great advice on how to enjoy our tour.
She took us to her home town of Pisa with great enthusiasm
and pointed out facts that only a local could possibly know. She built our anticipation of the tower so
much that I almost felt as though I needed a cigarette once we finally got
there, and I don't even smoke! She kept
telling us that we were ahead of the barbarians who were on the larger bus
tours, and that we would have the place to ourselves for at least an hour. She was right! The route we drove took us around the block
from the tower and she paused as the tower came into view and we excitedly
snapped photos through the glass windows.
Seth was about to come unglued!
Elizabetta rounded the corner and suddenly we were face to face with one
of the most remarkable works or art ever constructed.
On the journey Elizabetta told us the process the tower
endured in its construction, and you have to imagine the quintessential Italian
telling the story for its full effect.
It went something like this:
"So, when he realized that his a'tower was a'leaning, and that it
mighta fall a'down, they said STOP a'building it. And then it a'sat there. And then another architect said he knew how
to a'fix the problem. So, he made the
columns shorter on the side that was a'leaning, and made the columns a'longer
on the side that wasn't a'leaning. And
it helped, so they finished the tower.
But now, do you know what a'shape it is?
It's a BANANA!" and she laughed as if it was the first time she
told the story. She told us that modern
day engineers knew the tower would eventually fall down, so they started
correcting the problem. And they did a
good job. And then the Italian
government told them not to correct it too much, because it was famous because
it was a'leaning. So, they stabilized it
where it wouldn't fall and left it alone.
It's quite safe to visit and climb.
And now we were standing in front of a truly magnificent
masterpiece. It is hard to imagine that
the tower was almost 950 years old and that it was just right there! When we first approached the tower, it was
from the leaning side, so we didn't see just how much it actually leaned. When we started circling the tower we saw
just how imposing the slant was. I have
trouble believing that it didn't fall down!
The scroll work on the tower was incredible, and the art work
fashioned into it is almost impossible to describe, so I won't try. Just look at it yourself when you get
there!
My publisher and I decided that we would take some
publicity shots while I was in Europe, so I took a newspaper from home and had
my photo reading it in front of the tower.
If you're from a small town they will print that photo in the newspaper,
and it will be great advertisement for my new books! We also took the obligatory shots of
us holding the tower up, or of pushing it over.
My publisher and I decided that we would take some
publicity shots while I was in Europe, so I took a newspaper from home and had
my photo reading it in front of the tower.
If you're from a small town they will print that photo in the newspaper,
and it will be great advertisement for my new books! We also took the obligatory shots of
us holding the tower up, or of pushing it over.
Our tickets to climb the tower were for 9 o'clock that morning, and it was perfect timing. We had walked around the tower, took our photos, and were able to climb the tower before the hoards of barbarians arrived. The climb was not as daunting as I imagined it would be.
Although, I freely admit it was a bit disconcerting when you got the leaning side of the spiral staircase. The marble steps were very worn and slippery, so take your time and step deliberately while you climb. Take your time! Ha! There are nearly three hundred steps, so you will be taking your time. Plus, there had been a passing shower earlier that morning, so some of the steps were wet. Just don't get in a hurry! When we arrived at the top, I was shocked to see that the tower was completely hollow. It is a cylinder with a fancy suit of armor!
The last steps to the top and a view of the cylinder.
The tower, of course, is a bell tower, and we meandered around the top for a while and then we realized the guard at the top was stepping out of the center of the tower and was making her way to the edge. I asked if the bells were about to ring and she told me that it usually rings every 15 minutes, but not every time. She told us that if we wanted to hear it ring, to wait a couple of minutes. If it didn't ring, then they forgot to do it. So, we waited. After a couple of minutes it was 9:17, so we concluded it wasn't going to happen and we began our descent. Thirty seconds later the bells rang and we were both relieved and disappointed. It would have been loud if we were there when it happened. So, if you see the guard getting out of the way, take your cue.
Can you see Mike on his scooter down there?
Mike wasn't able to climb the tower, and there are no elevators to the top. Instead, he and George Anne tooled around, checking out the church and the baptistry while we made our ascent. Other than climbing, the area was very wheel chair accessible. Oh, and there are restrooms on site. And they were free.
Mike wasn't able to climb the tower, and there are no elevators to the top. Instead, he and George Anne tooled around, checking out the church and the baptistry while we made our ascent. Other than climbing, the area was very wheel chair accessible. Oh, and there are restrooms on site. And they were free.
When we were getting back into the van I asked Elizabetta
where the second leaning tower of Pisa was, and for the first time she frowned
and announced that I ruined her surprise!
Most people don't know about the second tower, and very few tourists get
to see it. Only private tours have the
flexibility to fit it in. She took off
and drove us through some winding streets and then proudly announced that her
beautiful town had two towers that were doomed to fall. The second tower was built in the 12th
century and didn't have the sparkle and shine of the famous tower.
The "other" leaning tower of Pisa
Elizabetta then took us to Florence and told us many funny
and fact filled stories along the way.
As I was looking at the countryside, or what I thought was the
countryside, I recognized that nothing looked like the rolling hills of
Tuscany. You know what I mean? The hills you see in paintings? Everything was flat and...well, flat. And Texans know flat. I was disappointed. Elizabetta then offered to deviate from the
course for a few minutes and she would drive up a hill that was nearby and we
could take some pictures. (Remember how you need to trust your guide?) By then the clouds had lifted and the rain was
finished. As we parked on the hilltop,
we were the only barbarians anywhere around, and we were alone the entire
time. What we saw was perfect. The clouds lifted again and the sun peaked
out, and we were in the heart of the rolling hills I so desperately wanted to
see.
A vineyard stretched out along the hills, and on the distant horizon you could see an old church and a bell tower. The warm Tuscan colors were splashed across the building we could see. The yellows, oranges, and reds were dancing across the landscape, completing the vineyards with the very image of Tuscany. We were enchanted! Italy had cast its spell.
A vineyard stretched out along the hills, and on the distant horizon you could see an old church and a bell tower. The warm Tuscan colors were splashed across the building we could see. The yellows, oranges, and reds were dancing across the landscape, completing the vineyards with the very image of Tuscany. We were enchanted! Italy had cast its spell.
Seth, just before the train hit him...????
We then arrived in Florence and our love affair with Italy
was fully consummated. I have never been
to a more charming town. It was complete
with the narrow winding streets, ancient Roman history, and all the bright
colors of Italy. There were many barbarians,
but I never felt oppressed, and we were never really crowded. Except for the Duomo, but I'll get to that in
a minute.
The old Roman wall and watch tower
Florence and the Arno River, with the infamous Ponte Vecchio and Il Duomo in the backgrounds.
Elizabetta took us to a hilltop in Florence (Piazzale
Michelangelo) that overlooked the city.
Holy cow! Florence is a beautiful
and majestic place. I have travelled
extensively, and I've been to some incredible towns, but Florence is a special
place. We could see cathedrals and domes
scattered along the horizon, and the infamous Ponte Vecchio where the Arno
River passes through town. The old city
wall meanders along the valley below, completing the image.
The plaza overlook was easily assessable and had a restroom!
Oh, there are also restrooms at that lookout point. And I suppose this is a good time for me to
offer a diatribe on bathrooms for good measure.
I seem to remember it costing .70 Euros to enter. There is an attendant standing there with a
mop. The very second you exit the stall,
he or she immediately cleans up behind you, and they may or may not be there
while you conduct your business. You
aren't really paying for a bathroom.
You're paying for a CLEAN bathroom.
And that, my friends, is worth a lot!
By the way, the men's restroom
is the kind where there is only a hole, not a seat. The women's has a sit down throne. There were only a few places where there were
no formal toilets, in fact, and the other was in Athens. So if you were worried about that, you can
relax. There was never a toilet that was
horrible. And, some were self
cleaning. So, if you enter a toilet that
is dripping wet from top to bottom, it is because when you close the door to
exit, a blast of water drenches everything.
It can be quite startling if you don't know about it. Only once did I experience a bad bathroom
incident, and that was a self inflicted wound that almost caused a riot at
Vatican City. But that is reserved for
tomorrow's story.
The Duomo is just a hop, skip, and a jump from here...You can see the dome!
From that hilltop, Elizabetta took us into the heart of
Florence, and dropped us off a stone's throw away from the Duomo. She told us to take an hour and then we could
all meet back at her location. She was
very worried about Mike being able to get around on his scooter, so she wanted
us to reconvene to ensure that he was being taken care of properly. We walked a block to the Duomo and staggered
in our steps.
I seem to remember the gold doors belong to the baptistry next to the Duomo.
It may not be real gold, but it is inspiring non the less.
The Duomo is a magnificent work of art, and a cathedral with few rivals. The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (English: Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower) is the main church of Florence. Il Duomo di Firenze, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style, and is faced with marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white. It has incredibly detailed and intricate scroll work and sculptures adorning it from the ground all the way to the dome. I kept trying to capture it by camera, but it was too vast to do so. And which part do you take a picture of? It was magnificent! The church is actually a basilica, is one of Italy's largest churches, and the dome was the largest in the world until the modern era. It remains the largest brick dome ever constructed.
I seem to remember the gold doors belong to the baptistry next to the Duomo.
It may not be real gold, but it is inspiring non the less.
The Duomo is a magnificent work of art, and a cathedral with few rivals. The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (English: Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower) is the main church of Florence. Il Duomo di Firenze, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style, and is faced with marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white. It has incredibly detailed and intricate scroll work and sculptures adorning it from the ground all the way to the dome. I kept trying to capture it by camera, but it was too vast to do so. And which part do you take a picture of? It was magnificent! The church is actually a basilica, is one of Italy's largest churches, and the dome was the largest in the world until the modern era. It remains the largest brick dome ever constructed.
A few shots of the exterior...
Well, we certainly wanted to enter the church, but I was
dismayed when I saw the line of barbarians waiting to enter. The line was long. But it was moving. So we got into it. While I'm standing in line, let me tell you
of your two options when you visit the Duomo.
You can take the free, self guided tour and stand in line to enter the
church. Or, you can pay a small fee (8
Euro, I think) and stand in line to climb to the top of the dome. I've heard it is a magnificent thing to do,
but we opted to stay on the ground.
After all, we had just climbed the tower in Pisa, and our legs were
jelly. Plus, Mike was on his scooter
(there is a separate side entrance for those with mobility issues. Elizabetta made sure we knew where this was
before we left her). The wait to get
into the Duomo was actually very short.
We only stood in line maybe 10 or 15 minutes, and most of that time was
spent marveling at the gorgeous facade of the church exterior. And once we entered the Duomo..., well... it
was simply magnificent. The church is
ornate.
Tile work in the floors
And the tile work in the floor alone is worth visiting. Elizabetta told us that the Duomo was so ornate and so awesome that the church had to cover up a lot of its artwork (also some had been stolen and some had been removed to museums), because it was too distracting to people trying to worship. Man, it must have been overwhelming before, because it was still magnificent in its current, toned-down state. The domed ceiling was painted by a contemporary of Michelangelo, who might have been one of his students. Well, I could go on and on...
Tile work in the floors
And the tile work in the floor alone is worth visiting. Elizabetta told us that the Duomo was so ornate and so awesome that the church had to cover up a lot of its artwork (also some had been stolen and some had been removed to museums), because it was too distracting to people trying to worship. Man, it must have been overwhelming before, because it was still magnificent in its current, toned-down state. The domed ceiling was painted by a contemporary of Michelangelo, who might have been one of his students. Well, I could go on and on...
Looking up at the dome. I know, it's hard to capture by photo...
I attempted a close up of the fresco on the dome...
By the way, once we were inside, there was plenty of room
for everyone. It wasn't crowded at
all. AND, you do have to be dressed
appropriately for the church. No shorts
that reveal your knees, and no swim suits.
You know the drill.
After we left the Duomo, we met Elizabetta, who told us that
we had 3 hours of free time. We decided
to split up as a family group and we could all do whatever we wanted. But eating was the first thing on our radar. We all ended up at the same restaurant in
Piazza della Repubblica which is an extraordinary place to eat. I cannot remember the name but it was across
the Piazza from Caffe Gilli, which is an historic restaurant. Had I known about it at the time we would
have probably eaten there! You will recognize the Piazza by the big carousel in
the center, and let me tell you, the food was incredible.
Sorry! We keep forgetting to take a picture before we dive in!
Sarah and the kids each ordered a pizza, and I ordered the lasagna. I will give a tutorial about ordering pizza
in Italy later on, so I won't focus on that right now. But let me tell you, pizza in Florence is
painfully good, and, even though it's nothing like American pizza, it is just
as tasty. And the lasagna, well, holy
cow, and thank God Columbus brought tomatoes back to Europe! Add the bottle of wine we shared...it was a
great meal. And it only cost about
55 Euros for the four of us. Another bonus
about this place was the Wi-Fi access.
We were able to connect our phones to their server and take care of some
business. I checked to see if the
government shutdown was over, which it wasn't, and Sarah uploaded a few shots
to Facebook. I was even able to connect
with my family in Texas via Face Time for a few minutes. But, it was really early in Texas, so I
accidentally woke them up. It was about
5AM there!
Once we finished this fantastic meal, we walked to the
nearest gelato place and gave Italy its fair shot at impressing us. It was good, but so far, St. Paul was the
best. Then we walked down to the Piazza della Signoria, which is an
L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, which is the town hall, so to
speak. The Piazza is rather unique in
that it is the home to dozens of statues, one of which is a copy of Michelangelo's
David. Many famous statues inhabit this
square, and all of them are incredible.
Most were sculpted in the 1500s.
The original David is kept at The Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, AKA "Academy of Fine Arts
of Florence". We intended to visit
the Accademia, but they were hosting a special event which would have cost many
more Euros. We decided that it was more
expensive than we wanted to spend. But,
we did get more free time to wander around Florence, and that was a priceless
exchange.
David and part of his host of statues in the Piazza
At this point, our family group hit a snag. Mike needed a bathroom, and in his scooter he
was having a hard time accessing one, as most of the restrooms were
downstairs. So, Sarah went with him to
find him some relief that didn't involve a fine for indecency, and I took the
kids to look for souvenirs.
We found a quiet street to explore
We pressed through the crowd on the Ponte Vecchio in search of souvenirs.
The kids and I walked a couple of blocks down to the Ponte Vecchio, which is an historical bridge which crosses the Arno River. It was built in the early Roman days where the Via Cassia crossed at the narrowest point. Throughout the millennia that followed, the bridge had shops built onto it, many of which were food service stores, such as butcher shops and restaurants. Apparently the smells on the bridge were offensive to the Medici family who crossed using a corridor built into the top, so an ordinance was passed that only jewelry stores could occupy the shops. And we're not talking about cheap gold, either. You're gonna spend some serious cash buying something on that bridge. And there were scores of barbarians looking for a place to spend their money.
We found a quiet street to explore
We pressed through the crowd on the Ponte Vecchio in search of souvenirs.
The kids and I walked a couple of blocks down to the Ponte Vecchio, which is an historical bridge which crosses the Arno River. It was built in the early Roman days where the Via Cassia crossed at the narrowest point. Throughout the millennia that followed, the bridge had shops built onto it, many of which were food service stores, such as butcher shops and restaurants. Apparently the smells on the bridge were offensive to the Medici family who crossed using a corridor built into the top, so an ordinance was passed that only jewelry stores could occupy the shops. And we're not talking about cheap gold, either. You're gonna spend some serious cash buying something on that bridge. And there were scores of barbarians looking for a place to spend their money.
Seth wanted his snow globe, and Caitie was looking for a
trinket box of some kind, and I had my eyes open for a magnet and some local
art. We found it all very quickly. In fact, all of our small purchases were made
at a souvenir stand just off the bridge.
The kids picked out their items and I reached into my pocket only to
realize that I had given all of my money to Sarah at lunch. But where was she? So, we walked the few blocks back to the
Piazza, but they were nowhere in sight.
We trekked back to Ponte Vecchio and found Micah, Sarah's sister, and I
borrowed enough cash from her to pay for our souvenirs. Sarah was still a no show. Apparently she was having trouble finding
Mike a bathroom that would work for him.
But while waiting on her to return, I found a couple of artists who were
painting on the street. I bought one
small water color for 15 Euros, and a really nice acrylic for 25 Euros. By this time our group had reassembled and we
were once again under the love and protection offered to us by Elizabetta, who
had one more stop planned for the afternoon before shuttling us back to the
ship.
The Basilica Galileo's tomb.
Michelangelo's tomb Poor Leonardo's tomb is so plain...
The Basilica di
Santa Croce is the principal Franciscan church in Florence, and is
situated on the Piazza di Santa Croce, about a half mile south east of the Duomo. It is the burial place of some of the most
illustrious Italians, such as Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Foscolo, Gentile,
Dante, and Rossini, thus it is known also as the Temple of the Italian Glories. If
you're into dead people, or, more accurately, into visiting the tombs of famous
dead people, then you will really dig the graves found in Santa Croce, all
jokes about necromancy aside.
When we finished our
tour we used the restroom facilities at the church and loaded up into the van
so Elizabetta could return us to our ship.
She had promised at the beginning of the day that she wouldn't talk to
us on the return trip, just so she wouldn't excessively annoy us on the way
back. But, Mike was sitting in the front
seat, and the two of them kept exchanging stories and laughing. It helped make the 40 or so minute drive back
to the ship pleasant. By this time, we
had spent two intense days of port calls that were both physically and
emotionally draining. Our
"culture-ometer" was full, which made us tired. We were looking forward to our evening dinner
and then bed time. So far, the evening
shows on the ship were less than interesting, so we would retire fairly early.
Elizabetta was a treat for us. Request her as your guide. You won't regret it!
About this time we
received a blessing from Mike and George Anne.
They insisted that one or two of their grandchildren spend the night
with them in their room as often as possible.
This helped us tremendously. As
we mentioned earlier, our room was distastefully small, and sending one kid to
their stateroom made ours more bearable.
Every night the kids would swap back and forth, allowing us much more
use of our very crowded room.
A couple of thoughts about Florence before I take you to
Rome... Florence is a wonderful city,
and it has all the charm and grace of any European city, and it is a beautiful
place to visit. We marked Florence as a
place we dearly wished to return to some day.
And by God's grace we will make it back there. If you're into wine, you might like to know
that this area of Tuscany holds very high and restrictive standards on the wine
making process. Chianti Classico is
their trademark product, and it is a wonderful dry red wine to drink with steak
dinners, or with pizza and lasagna. To
ensure that you are receiving a Chianti that meets those high standards, look
for the seal on the bottle that has a red rooster on it. Only wines made to these local standards are
allowed to carry that seal. My time in
Florence was meaningful in other ways as well.
During WWII, my grandfather crossed the Arno River, but under much
different circumstances. I remember him
telling us about their invasion of Italy, and how they fought on the very same
ground that our ports visited. The
Italians hold no ill will against the Americans, and often speak critically of
what the Germans inflicted upon their beautiful cities. But, time heals all wounds. Over half of the barbarians touring the
cities were German, and that speaks highly of the Italians' ability to overcome
their past.
Mike was mostly successful with his scooter in
Florence. He had access to anyplace he
wanted to visit, his only issue being bathroom breaks. Overall, he fared very well. Let's see how well he would do in Rome.
Part I Getting there
Part II Barcelona
Part III Barcelona Continued
Part IV France
Part V Livorno, Pisa, and Florence, Italy
Part VI Rome
Part VII Sea Day
Part VIII Turkey
Part IX Athens
Part X Santorini
Part XI Sea Day
Part XII Italy: Positano, Sorento, Amalfi Coast, and Pompeii
Part XIII Sea Day
Part XIV Back to Barcelona
Part XV The Journey Home and Final Thoughts
Part I Getting there
Part II Barcelona
Part III Barcelona Continued
Part IV France
Part V Livorno, Pisa, and Florence, Italy
Part VI Rome
Part VII Sea Day
Part VIII Turkey
Part IX Athens
Part X Santorini
Part XI Sea Day
Part XII Italy: Positano, Sorento, Amalfi Coast, and Pompeii
Part XIII Sea Day
Part XIV Back to Barcelona
Part XV The Journey Home and Final Thoughts
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