Pisa

Hi, well here we are in Pisa and the camp site is literally a stone's throw from Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles) where the Cathedral, the Baptistry and the Leaning Tower of Pisa are all situated.

It was very busy with tourists and stalls selling the usual tourist items and of course street vendors selling fake handbags and watches. We decided that an evening visit to the tower would be nicer than climbing the 300 steps during the hottest part of the day, so we booked our tickets for 8.00pm and we were not disappointed. we were rewarded with the mellow colours of the surrounding countryside. 

The Cathedral was beautiful (both inside and out) and very well preserved. .

Walking around Pisa was lovely, narrow alleyways leading into Piazzas which housed more interesting buildings.This picture is of the Palazzo dell'Orologio (Clock's Palast).

According to legend, in 1288 count Ugolino and some of his male relatives, under suspicion for high treason, were left to starve to death in the tower.

Along to the fruit market where we filled our rucksacks with a variety of different fruits all at a fraction of the cost I have to pay at Morrisons! My favourite have been the white peaches - big, succulent and very tasty.

A visit to Lucca was high on the agenda this week and was easily achieved. The train station was only a 5 minute walk away and there were frequent trains running to and from Lucca. We decided to make a day of it so again it was an early start. Lucca is a city within a city, the old part is inside a 4.2km circular fortified wall with gate ways dotted around the 12 metre high walls.

The newer part of the city is a sprawl of buildings spreading outwards from the walls. Once inside the walls it was very peaceful with little or no traffic noise. We went in search of Piazza san Giovani because we had been told by a couple we met in Lake Garda that they had attended a Puccini musical evening in the Church in the square. Lucca was home to Puccini and where he wrote one of my favourite operas, Madame Butterfly. He is commemorated by this statue in one of the Piazzas. We were fortunate to get tickets for later that evening.

At the Church of Saints Giovanni e Reparta there are some wonderful archaeological excavations on display with these mosaics dating back to 1st century BC.

We spent the rest of the day wandering around taking in the sights. In the Piazza Anfiteatro there was a stage being erected for an Abba tribute concert  (open air entertainment - I can live with).  A weary twosome we found a small bar to enjoy a glass of wine (or two) before heading off to the concert. Suitably revived, we made our way to the Church where we enjoyed a selection of arias from Puccini's operas. The acoustics were wonderful and the setting sublime.

Train back to Pisa and called into the camp bar for a drink only to find there was entertainment by the pool in the shape of a magic show. Italy knows no bounds - Abba, Puccini and the magic show all in one day.

Approx 4km from the camp site is the San Rossare Natural Park and Estate. We had planned to cycle there and after making a packed lunch and packed our rucksacks we heard the rumble of distant thunder. We hung back to see what would happen and were glad that we did. Within one hour our pitch was like a swimming pool and surrounding tents waterlogged. The following day, with another packed lunch we headed off to San Rossare. A place of beauty and tranquility with a wide variety of animals including wild boar, deer, foxes, badgers, bats, porcupines and numerous types of birds. 

A very different place from the centre of Pisa with the thousands of tourists all trying to hold up the leaning tower of Pisa for that perfect photo shot. On the way back we stopped off at the supermarket to buy a bottle of the local Chianti - it's a hard life. But we have to take the rough with the smooth. we have to put up with days like this but then again we don't often get the opportunity to sit in one of these.

Until next week bye for now - Lots of love Kath and Harry xxx