Breakfast in Florence – Lunch in Pisa

I was going to take the train to Lucca this morning, but I got up too late to make it worthwhile. So after breakfast on the terrace, I went to my room, packed a lunch (PB&J again), walked over to the train station and rode to Pisa. Ann and I were in Pisa a few years ago. I didn’t have a good impression then because of all of the vendors alongside the Field of Miracles. This time I had Rick Steves with me. He guided me through the town and gave me a brief history of it along the way.

I walked along the Corso Italia, Pisa’s main street, passing countless fashion, gelato and jewelry shops. At the end of the street, I crossed Ponte di Mezzo. According to Rick, this is the center of Pisa. The current bridge was built after WWII when the US and British bombed the old one. Across the bridge was Piazza Garibaldi which is named for the leader of the movement of Italian independence in 1870. It is also known for Pisa’s favorite gelato – I had licorice.

Continuing along Borgo Stretto – Pisa’s main shopping street – I turned left and wandered through Piazza delle Vettovaglie. This is an historic market square. There was lots of produce for sale. It gave me a chance to take photos of one of my favorite subjects.

Piazza dei Cavalieri was next. It has a clock tower, a colorfully decorated palace and several beautifully colored buildings. It also has a statue of Cosimo I de’ Medici stomping on a dolphin. This is supposed to represent Pisa’s dominance of the sea.

From there it was on to the Field of Miracles and the leaning tower.

As you can imagine, there are a lot of tourists here and a lot of vendors trying to sell to the tourists. There are also some very worthwhile things to see including the Leaning Tower, the Duomo, the Baptistery, the Museum of the Sinopias and the Camposanto Cemetery. I, being the cheapskate, did not enter any of the buildings. I sat down on the steps of a statue, ate my packed lunch and took in the atmosphere. Some people next to me were giving envious looks at my PB&J sandwich, chips, banana, cookies and fizzy water.

I walked around the field taking several photos. It is really beautiful. The vendors and the tourists are not pushy and obnoxious.

I retraced my route back to the train station and rode back to Florence. On the way back to the hotel, I discovered a grocery store real close to the Ponte Vecchio on this side of the river. I had walked past it many times thinking that it was a hole in the wall. I was wrong. It is a very large store with a fantastic deli counter with all sorts of salads, meats and cheese. I picked up a salad for dinner tonight. I’ll be returning for more goodies soon.

I’m going to bed early tonight so I can get up early tomorrow in order to catch the 9:00 train to Lucca.