Friday, June 17, 2022

{EUROPE} Day Nine - Pisa (Livorno), Italy

 Oh, what a day!

We docked early in Livorno, grabbed breakfast, and met up with our tour group, all before 8:00am!

And then, we were off and headed to Pisa!

We caught our first glimpses of the baptistry, duomo, and bell tower in the distance across a large field... 


Once parked, we took a brief walk over to the square...


Funny (but nearly, not-so-funny) story... We had to cross some railroad tracks to get from the parking lot area to the square, and as our group was approaching the crossing, the bells started ringing and the gate arms starting coming down. Our guide said for us to hurry across, so we did, but I was so busy watching for oncoming trains (never saw one) and accounting for my children (saw all 3 safely across), that I almost got bonked in the head by one of the closing arms! Bless...


Well, crisis averted... We continued on to the square where we saw the baptistry, the duomo...


and the (famous) bell tower, and then proceeded to take a gazillion photos from all different locations and angles!

No, seriously, that's exactly what we did...


Glad this wasn't the case...


because we came here on a mission... Ha!

So, the last time that I visited, which was over 20 years ago, the tower was not open to climbing visitors, as it was closed from January 1990 until December 2001...

{July 2001}

Today, over 20 years since it was opened back up, we were able to climb all the way up to the top...


Now, to reach the top, one must navigate nearly 300 steps up a narrow passageway, that is two-way with NO railings to grab on to...


Mission accomplished!

{our daredevil girl hanging out up on the "leaning" side}

The best was being right about here...


when the bells started ringing. What a joy!

 
Now... Going back down just might've been tougher than going up! I was worried about slipping on the marble (that also had dips in it from where all the people that have climbed those steps over the many, many years had worn it down in places)!


Once safely back on the ground...


we proceeded to take a gazillion more photos from all different locations and angles...


because, you know, we didn't get enough the first time...  Ha!


Oh, what a GREAT feeling to have everyone safely back on the ground, after having had the chance to be at the top!

Now, all FIVE of us have actually made it up there. Though Hubby is not reunited with us quite yet, we figured out that he must've visited the tower less than a year after me (and right before we met), as he climbed it only a few months after it reopened! Now, to get my hands on some photos of that...

With today's climbing complete, we headed back to our bus - no trains this time - and traveled back to the ship in time to meet up with Grandma for lunch and to recap our day!

Time for a relaxing afternoon, if you ask me...  I'm worn out!

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