Today we left Lake Maggiore and headed for Pisa. It was a long bus ride which was complicated by some minor traffic detours. In traveling along the way, we saw rice paddies...not exactly like it might be in Asia...but rice paddies nonetheless used for the making of risotto. Also passed mountains which looked like they were snow capped but in reality they were mines for marble..Carrare marble specifically which is the marble used by Michaelangelo as it usually has no veins in the marble which leads to no cracking when sculpting.
When we arrived in Pisa, for the first time in Italy the weather and sun was hot. There was no breeze like we had been used to so far. Of course, we did the obiligatory pose in from of the Leaning Tower which is 15 feet off center and is 200 feet tall and 55 feet wide built by three different architects. Had to pay 30 cents to use the toilets which were fine. Except for the first time I used the public toilets, the rest of the toilets have been pretty normal.
Then we headed to Florence to make sure we got into the Academia which is the museum that houses the David. Most of the the big museums are closed on Monday so we had to make sure we got in on Sunday. David is truly magnificent. His eyes are dreamy, and he has a great butt.
Michaelangelo's philosophy was that the sculpture is inside the marble just waiting to come out and he was just the instrument used to release it from its marble prison.
Then we traveled out to a restaurent in the Tuscan countryside to have an authentic Tuscan dinner and was serenaded by a trio consisting of two guitar players and one singer named Gino.
Today we went to the Duoma in Florence. Every city calls their cathedral a Duomo. It had a beautiful distinct facade made of white, green and pink marble from the surrounding areas. We visited several other churches, one being the church of Santa Croce which is the burial site for both Michealangelo and Galileo. We also went shopping for leather and gold. Bought a little of each!!! Of course, we had the obligatory gelato with the best so far being Della Palma in Rome.
Tonight I think we will go to another prix fixe dinner for 12 euros nearby.
Tomorrow we head to Sienna and then Rome to get ready for the trip back home.
It is weird to note that by now I do not feel like a foreigner here. Nancy and I have become honorary Aussies thanks to the 11 that are a part of our group and we all feel like native Italians. I think it is because of all the food we have been eating and the wine we have been drinking.
When we arrived in Pisa, for the first time in Italy the weather and sun was hot. There was no breeze like we had been used to so far. Of course, we did the obiligatory pose in from of the Leaning Tower which is 15 feet off center and is 200 feet tall and 55 feet wide built by three different architects. Had to pay 30 cents to use the toilets which were fine. Except for the first time I used the public toilets, the rest of the toilets have been pretty normal.
Then we headed to Florence to make sure we got into the Academia which is the museum that houses the David. Most of the the big museums are closed on Monday so we had to make sure we got in on Sunday. David is truly magnificent. His eyes are dreamy, and he has a great butt.
Michaelangelo's philosophy was that the sculpture is inside the marble just waiting to come out and he was just the instrument used to release it from its marble prison.
Then we traveled out to a restaurent in the Tuscan countryside to have an authentic Tuscan dinner and was serenaded by a trio consisting of two guitar players and one singer named Gino.
Today we went to the Duoma in Florence. Every city calls their cathedral a Duomo. It had a beautiful distinct facade made of white, green and pink marble from the surrounding areas. We visited several other churches, one being the church of Santa Croce which is the burial site for both Michealangelo and Galileo. We also went shopping for leather and gold. Bought a little of each!!! Of course, we had the obligatory gelato with the best so far being Della Palma in Rome.
Tonight I think we will go to another prix fixe dinner for 12 euros nearby.
Tomorrow we head to Sienna and then Rome to get ready for the trip back home.
It is weird to note that by now I do not feel like a foreigner here. Nancy and I have become honorary Aussies thanks to the 11 that are a part of our group and we all feel like native Italians. I think it is because of all the food we have been eating and the wine we have been drinking.
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