Europe 2013 - Day 5: Pisa, Italy

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Today began with a train ride from Rome to Pisa, which took approximately 3 hours from point A to point B. It was an enjoyable ride of the beautiful Italian countryside. Upon arriving in Pisa we located our B&B, checked in, and then we were off and running! After lunch, we walked around old town Pisa visiting the Leaning Tower, the Cathedral, and the Baptistery.

We decided that we were going to walk the 294 steps to the very top of the Leaning Tower. It was a weird feeling walking up the Tower with such lean in the building (5 degrees!). The most abnormal feeling was once we were at the top walking down the few steps in the direction of the lean. Thank goodness for the fence at the top, otherwise we would have been a spot on the ground! We learned that two people built the Tower during two different times in history. Due to the change in architects the building has a banana shape to it. The second architect tried to counter balance the lean of the first, failed, architect. It's a very slight banana shape, but it can be seen if you're looking for it (it is between the 3rd and 4th level).

After our hike to the top we toured the gorgeous Cathedral and Baptistery, which were in the same square. Both places had beautiful architecture and fine detail and are a true work of art.

After our tours, we had a little extra time before dinner, so we decided to rent a two person bicycle cart and see Pisa from a different perspective.

Below are the pictures from the day.