Italy - Day 10 - Straighten Up

Arrivederci Lake Maggiore. Until we meet again. We're off to Pisa and Florence. On the road to Pisa, we pass a mountain that appears covered in snow.

As it turns out, it wasn't snow at all. It was marble. This is the mountain where some of the finest marble in the world, Carrera marble, is mined. What do you think most of the marble is used for? Countertops? Floors? Walls? Nope. Headstones!

When we arrive in Pisa it is HOT! We get off the bus and everyone is scrambling for a patch of shade where the temperature is at least 20 degrees cooler. To our surprise (and delight) a small tram is there to meet us so we don't have to walk through Pisa. The tram drops us off at a small "shopping" district. It was actually a collection of street vendors vying for tourist euros. One of the biggest sellers was cheap umbrellas to shield you from the sun. Also, this is a place that was crowded and it was important to keep your wallet secure.

We pass through this district and we arrive at the object of our quest... The Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Everybody has to take the obligatory picture holding up the tower. Pat hates this picture, but it's the best one I had. The tower is actually part of the church at Pisa. There are three parts: the baptistry, the church and the tower. The tower is leaning because the church ran out of money and skimped on the foundation. The heavy marble began sinking into the sandy soil. Twenty years ago they actually straightened it about 18 inches because it was in danger of toppling over. Today it is continuously monitored.

Back through the markets. Back through the heat. Back on the tram, and back on the air conditioned motor coach. You gotta do it once, but that's enough Pisa.

Florence is the capital of Italy's Tuscan Region. You may not have known this, but I've wanted to go to Italy for many years. Tuscany is exactly what I imagined and even exceeded my expectations. This is why I came to Italy. Nothing against all of the other beautiful places, but this region was the draw for me.

The rolling hills... the vineyards... the olive groves... the passionate people. This IS Italy for me. We checked into our hotel and got cleaned up for dinner.

I really didn't know what to expect at dinner, but it was a lot of fun. We had dinner at Machiavelli's home which has been converted into a restaurant and vineyard.

Our hostess dressed in period costume and pretended to be Machiavelli's lonely wife. She not only taught us about Machiavelli's politics, but she gave us a tour of the underground winery which opened up on the other side of the road to the restaurant.

I tried Chianti for the first time and loved it. I had some shipped home to share. Not only was dinner delicious, but we were entertained by a couple singing and playing the guitar. Mostly, they sang Italian songs, but near the end they started playing stuff we recognized and the entire group was up dancing. Yes. Even I was dancing. Hey these people don't know me. The group had finally collectively opened up and you could see some real bonds had formed.

We got back on the bus, but we weren't done. Imagine traveling down a country road in Italy and "Country Road" is playing over the loud speakers. We sang all the way back to the hotel. As we exited to coach, the tour director hugged each and every person. He later commented that this was a special moment for him.