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Pisa is about a lot more than the iconic Leaning Tower, but that’s why we came. It is a beautiful city on the Arno, very similar in appearance to its neighboring Florence. Every Piazza and building seems to be steeped in Renaissance history. Portions of the original town walls are still in place and many of the streets are lined with the famous “umbrella” pines for which the area is known. Once… Read More
The Campanile, at the Florence Duomo. It was an easy hour train ride into Florence from Livorno. Advance info said all trains were at 12 minutes after the hour – but we caught one about 15 minutes earlier. Italian trains are always a bit of an experience and you have to validate your tickets prior to each trip (or you get a hefty fine); I had read to look for the yellow… Read More
This morning we are back in Italy, in Trieste, a town I knew very little about. It turns out this city was under Austrian rule for many years (in the 1300s, city fathers cut a deal to avoid Venetian domination), so it’s an interesting hybrid city complete with a wide variety of religious denominations and a coffee-house culture. Restaurants have pasta and sauerkraut. A key fact to discover for me, was to… Read More
