Pisa, Italy

Today was our first day in Italy. Our port was Livorno, which is on the northwestern coast. We headed out bright and early to Pisa. After years of seeing pictures, it was a little surreal to get up close to the Leaning Tower. Right by the Leaning Tower is the cathedral and baptistery–this area of Pisa is called the Field of Miracles. The old part of the town is small but has lots to see.

From there we took an hour drive through the Tuscan countryside to Florence. We barely scratched the surface of Florence. We went to the cathedral, the Duomo, the outside of which has intricate designs in marble. The dome of the cathedral was an innovative design that was replicated at St. Peter’s in Rome and St. Paul’s in London. While the outside of the Duomo is gorgeous, the inside is surprisingly plain. The exception to this is the fresco inside the dome, which is exquisite. Outside of the Duomo is the bell tower, with similar marble design as the cathedral itself. There also is a baptistery which has large doors with bronze panels representing Bible stories.

We also went to the Pitti Palace, a Medici family palace. It has a courtyard with beautifully painted ceilings and intricately designed columns. In front of the palace is a full-sized replica of Michelangelo’s David, along with multiple other statue replicas.

We walked on to the Ponte Vecchio bridge known for centuries for gold and silver shops. We had some gelato and spent some time in the square by the Church of Santa Croce. We then returned through the Tuscan countryside to Livorno and our ship.

We’ve love Italy so far and look forward to Rome tomorrow.