Lucca 6/11 - 6/18

I was in Lucca for 8 days.  It is a very, very small town that I discovered via Rick Steves’ travel show on the public broadcasting channel.  It is less than an hour from Pisa so I took a bus from Pisa as one runs every hour.   When I bought the bus ticket, I asked where exactly the bus stop was, the woman said outside on the left side of the building.  In the morning, I am sitting in the spot I thought was the stop and after waiting for an hour; I finally asked a passerby if they knew where the bus stop for Lucca was.   He pointed across the street and told me 'sempre doritto' (always straight, or straight ahead) so off I go.  I found a bus stop sign, but Lucca is not listed.   I asked a girl that was standing there (Mi scusi, autobus de Lucca?) and she said Si – qui!  (yes, here)  and I said grazie.  After a few moments, she asked in perfect English “are you American”.  First is said Si – and then laughed and said yes.   She is too and told me she wasn't sure because my Italian accent was really good – which made me feel great as now I am even fooling Americans!  

Lucca is not a big tourist town, its big claim to fame is that is it Europe’s leading producer of toilet paper and tissues and yet there were no tissues in my B&B room and the toilet paper was lousy...    It is also know for being the home town of the opera singer Puccini, for it's great olive oil and for the fortress wall that surrounds the town.  The wall was completed in 1650 and still stands fully intact.   It is 2.5 miles long and has a great path for walkers and bikes.   I make a vow to walk the wall path everyday to help work off the food and drink I am consuming and because I know my next stop will be a very hilly place with lots of steps - so I am taking advantage of the flat earth while I can.

On one of my walks I turned on my little IPOD to see if I had any Puccini downloaded to list to - nope.  Instead I pick the selection under Artist that is labeled as ‘unknown’ – it turned out to be my dear friend  Meghan Cary’s latest CD ‘Building This House’.   What a treat to hear not only some GREAT music in my ear, but a familiar voice as well.     Blog friends - check her out at http://www.meghancary.com/.  Her husband Peter is the wicked keyboard player for The Black Tails – a stellar swing, jazz and blues band that rocks the house!  Check them out at http://www.theblacktails.com.   Good to have you and Peter in my ears here in Italy, Meghan!!!

The town is a walkers and bikers (bikes, not scooters nor motorcycles) paradise.   Many of the streets are closed off to cars, so there are bikes everywhere and it is a weird sight to see as I don't know of many American towns that has this volume of riders.  Watching them weave in out of pedestrian traffic as well as other riders, I am amazed that no one gets hurt.  The majority of bikes here are mainly one speeders and have baskets in the front, some have front and back baskets, some have side saddles bags on the back bar, some have a child seat in front, some a child seat in back, some have child seats in both front and back and baskets, and some just have the flat bar over the back tire that another person sits or stands on.  It is easy to see by the wear and tear that bikes are one of the main transportation vehicles for many people.  Everyone bikes – young and old alike.  Women bike in high heels, spike heels, platform shoes and in skirts, including mini-skirts.  Men bike in their business suits with their bags in a basket or a briefcase in their one hand.   People text while biking and talk on the phone - and smoke.  Yet they do it gracefully and little effort.  I am amazed by these people and the fact that it doesn't look like they ever break a sweat.   There must be something in their DNA as I and the rest of the tourist are drenched in it as we walk the town.   And the weather has been great - hot (caldo), but great, 90's everyday but coolness can be found in the shade of the trees and under the umbrellas at the cafes.


I spend every day walking the streets, taking different side roads and just trying to get lost – which is impossible as the town is very small and surrounded by a wall…


One day I stumbled upon some guy making a music video.  I don’t know who he is, but there was a major production crew and lots of young girls watching and giggling, so I’m sure he is famous somewhere.   I watched them try to get this one 10 second scene for about 30 minutes.

 

I move on and found a shop that looked interesting…  Hmmm – where do I know that name from?

Street shots - - - - -

A Real Estate office.... 

Fresh pasta - I need a kitchen! 

A wedding - the men love wearing hats over here.

Fantastic street musicians - I bought a CD!

It is a beautiful little town and here again, all the people I meet are open and welcoming.  I met one guy, very friendly, he walked with me a while and had all kinds of questions for an American…  He told me he’d like to spend time with me during my vacation and maybe I could take him to dinner.  Wait – what??  I could take him to dinner??   He probably just messed up his English words.  We walk a bit further and he says he’s getting thirsty, aren’t I thirsty, we should stop so I can buy us a bottle of wine before we go back to my room…. What?  Mi scusi?  What are you talking about?   Yep, he’s a prostitute…   I laugh, say “no thank you” and walk on.   Oh well - I must be pulling off that ‘rich American’ look I was going for… 

There are just a few ‘tourist’ attractions to see here, so I check them off my list.  There is a church’s bell tower to climb - -  joy!!! 

It’s only 100 steps or so....  Egads!!

The view is worth the climb - and if I'd bring my laundry up here, the gusty breeze would dry it in a matter of minutes!

They have a beautiful Cathedral and Cathedral museum but pictures aren't allowed, so you will just have to come here to see them for yourself.  Like every other town in Italy, there are lots of churches to duck into but many do not allow photos to be taken.  Here is one that did. 

In between all of my site seeing and walking, I did take time to find some good food and wine.   The first place I found was Gigi Trattoria.  It caught my attention because it was almost completely surrounded by tall bushes and when I peeked in I saw tables filled with locals – this is always a good sign.  I sat next to a table of older gentleman, each with their own bottle of wine, and noticed that their last names were written on their bottle – a very good sign.  It means they are regulars, buy the bottles here and then leave it at the restaurant.  Which is another thing I love about Italy, you can buy a bottle at any restaurant - some even have small (1/2 size bottles) and take it home with you.  I ordered the house burger because it was listed as their specialty.   Three things I have learned here about restaurants: 1-always order the house wine, 2-ask for and order the house specialties 3-if you order meat and you want it cooked more than medium rare, you must speak up.  The burger comes on a bed of lettuce and is stacked with slices of tomato, spinach in a homemade cheese sauce and homemade mayo.  It was STELLAR!   As I am eating my lunch, a small sparrow lands on the other side of my table and starts singing to me.   It was a bit of a shock…  One of the old men at the table next to me, tapped my arm and pointed to my bread basket.  He said ‘piccolo pane’ (small bread) and then made a tossing motion.  So I broke off a small piece of crust and tossed it to the bird, which ate it and waited for more.   On the next toss I got a little to close and it flew away.   The old men laughed and one explained to me (which the waitress translated) that the sparrows are friendly but don’t want you to get to close – they are afraid you will stab them with your fork and eat them.  Lovely gentleman, we sat and talked for a while after his buddies left - he in Italian, I responded when I could – he didn't seem to mind.  Lovely…


Another day – another restaurant, their specialty was Salmon Lasagna.  INCREDIBLE!

Another day – another restaurant and I have the town specialty – Tordelli with Chianina meat sauce.  AWESOME!!!  One more reason to eat slowly, you do not want these taste sensations to end!

I also went to a wine café for a wine and olive oil tasting.  Lucca’s local olive oil is the best and I picked up a bottle to carry with me to the next few towns.  The wine ain't to shabby either and goes well with the Italian cigars I discovered.    

At the wine bar, I met a very nice couple from Australia, Tony and Margaret Walker from Port Macquarie.  They got there a few hours before I did…

Tony is a recently retired dentist, so we had plenty of things to talk about (!!) and Margaret is a nurse.   They have been on holiday, traveling around Italy for a month, and we had a grand time chatting and laughing.  At one point, they saw me taking a photo with Pedro and Margaret gave me a little companion for him. 

I enjoyed talking and laughing with them and they even invited me to come visit them in Australia!   I told them that I don’t care if it is the wine talking or not, but one day I hope to take them up on the offer.   We exchange emails and then they had to take off.  I stayed at the bar until closing as it is right across the street from a church where a concert is being held, celebrating Mozart and Puccini.  I am a big Mozart fan, and I can hear the music from here, so I sit and enjoy.  During the intermission and then after the concert, most of the musicians came to the wine bar as did the Conductor and I got to interact with them.   It was a great evening.  I liked this spot so much, I returned there two more times - drank more wine, listened to more good music and even got to know the staff a little bit.  A great joint!  The only thing missing was Tony and Margaret...

I really, really enjoyed Lucca.  It is a small town with few tourist sites, but a great and welcoming community.   I am very glad this stop was on my map – thank you Rick Steves!

Next stop – Vernazza in the Cinque Terre. 

Ciao ~

The Recipe for an Italian Dinner

One of the experiences I have come to appreciate here in Italy is enjoying a great meal.   And now you too can live that experience as well and it’s not going to cost you 200 dollars, not 150 dollars, not 100 dollars, not even 50 dollars…  All you need to do is open your heart and mind and let Italian magic rain all over you by following these simple instructions.  If you have a partner or friends to share this meal with, wonderful, but if you don’t I hope that doesn't stop you from making this dinner for yourself and enjoying the experience.   

To have a true Italian meal in your home it may cost a little more than your normal American dinner, but this is the disadvantage to living in America because everything Italian is imported.  It’s kind of funny to think that I am on the opposite side of that coin right now.   But don’t think of it as just another meal, this can be a true Italian dining experience in your own home.    

The “secret” to great Italian cooking is to use fresh ingredients that are in season.   Depending on when you make for your Italian meal and what you choose to make, this may not always be possible.  But most of you can find a farmers market somewhere around you and many towns have Italian neighborhoods that cater to their residence, so things can be found.  And when necessary, just improvise - all it takes is a little bit of effort.   And I know organic fruits and veggies cost more, but if you can afford it, it is worth it.   

Here are some suggested required items: 

1. Andre Bocelli’s CD – Amore.  This is a must! 
2. A bottle (or 2) of good Italian red or white wine, whatever is your preference.  Go to the import section of your liquor store to find Italian wines.  You may (or may not) pay a little more than usual, but for this evening – it is worth it.  If you’re not sure what to get – look for things from the Chianti, Tuscany, Liguria or Emilia-Romagna regions as well as wine from Sicily.  I’m a red wine drinker and find I love wines from the town of Montalcino, Montepulciano and San Gimignano.   If you’re in doubt, ask the person working at the liquor store – if they don’t have any clue, find another liquor store.  A shop keeper, like any good business man or woman, should know their products well so they can sell them to the public.   If you are not a wine drinker, pick up a beverage of your choice.  A sparkling non- alcoholic beverage also adds to the fun.  
3. Fresh bread.  A word about bread – any will do, as long as it is fresh baked.   Do not settle for plain, only American slice white bread for this meal.  Take it up a notch and splurge.  You’ll want to cut some fresh slices to have on the table to slop up with good olive oil and balsamic vinegar and perhaps your pasta sauce.  
4. Good olive oil – again this is going to cost a little more, but I swear to you it is worth it.   De Cecco is delicious and I have seen it in American grocery stores.  They also make great balsamic vinegar.  
5. Candles for the table – unscented.  You don’t want to smell anything other than what is coming out of the kitchen and is sitting on the plate in front of you.  
6. Rosemary.  Whether you use it in your recipe or not, rosemary is a fragrance that is somehow always in the air in Italy.  It is available in every grocery store in the fresh produce section.  Make a small bouquet to put on the table, stick your nose it in, inhale deeply and you are in Italy…

Now, plan your menu.  There should be at least three courses – appetizer, main course and salad.  Salad is served closer to the end of the meal.  If you add desert, then that is four courses.  Another “secret” to a great Italian meal is not to stuff your stomach like it is Thanksgiving Day in America.  The Italians celebrate the taste of every ingredient, every course.  It is celebrated by enjoying just enough to satisfy but not too much to over indulge and then have to unbutton your pants or run to the bathroom afterwards.  Dinner is a slow, enjoyable, experience.  Savory every bite – no matter how much your American spirit wants to rush past it.  Know that there is more if you want it… Go slowly and really appreciate every fork full.   Appreciate the time and effort that was put in to create the food in the first place.  Appreciate the time and effort that you put into the preparation of the food.   Appreciate the fact that you worked hard many hours of the day to earn the money that bought the food that is now sitting on your plate.   Put the fork down, chew ---- chew----and chew a little more so you can appreciated every taste sensation that is dancing around in your mouth.  And then take a sip of your beverage.   If you have a companion for dinner, take a moment to talk to each other, interact, and share this moment with them.  It will never happen again – a moment is just a moment and then it is gone forever…   If you are eating this marvelous dinner alone, remember to take a breath and appreciate and savor the moment.   Stop and listen to whatever song Andre is singing, and then take another breath before you pick up your fork again.  Each course should take more than 2 minutes to inhale – the longer you take, the more enjoyable the experience.   Trust me – I am living this everyday right now and it is wonderful.    

The appetizer should be something small and easy.  Bruschetta is relatively easy to prepare – it is bread with tomatoes, basil and olive oil.   You have the internet, look up an easy recipe.   Or you could get a few small amounts of Italian meats and cheeses from the deli counter at the grocery store.  Or you could make caprese – which is simply fresh mozzarella cheese and tomatoes.   A little good balsamic vinegar on a slice of fresh mozzarella is a slice of heaven.  

For the main course, I suggest pasta as this is an Italian dinner.  Some grocery stores (all over here) sell fresh pasta; if they do it is in the refrigerated section.  If you’re feeling adventurous, make it yourself – it is really not difficult, its nothing but water, flour, oil and maybe eggs – depending on what you are making.  Here again, search the internet.  Two great shows from American TV that make great, simple, 100% Italian pasta dishes are Lidia’s Italy and Ciao Italia.  GOOGLE them and see for yourself.  And you don’t need a fancy pasta cutting machine, a sharp knife works just fine.  Nobody is going to care if one noodle is thicker than the other…   Or just make it easy on yourself and grab a box of pasta – but wait a minute, have you ever actually read the portion info on the box?  Most state that a portion is ½ cup of uncooked noodles which becomes one cup when cooked.  If you check your box of spaghetti, I believe it states there are eight servings in there.  Eight - not two, not four, eight!    Do you know why Italians can eat pasta every day of their lives and not be morbidly obese?  Because they adhere to these portions and because most make their own pasta or buy it fresh so it is not filled with all the sugar and preservatives that are in the pre-made products we buy.   You do not need to give up carbs to lose weight or stay slim.  The problem is not in the carbs, it’s in what makes up most of America’s canned and boxed products that magically makes them last for months and months, sometimes years in the pantry or refrigerator.  

My mother told me, during a recent phone call, that she was still eating lettuce that was in her fridge that I bought before I left Hershey on April 22.   Lettuce that has miraculous lived for over a month in her refrigerator.  Now, I doubt this to be true but she is insisting that it is.  So either that lettuce was severely laced with chemicals when it was in the ground that made it last so long, or her refrigerator is performing miracles and she needs to call the Pope and have it declared a Saint.  I don’t know the real answer to that mystery, but if you live close to my mother and you have an ailment, stop by and spend some time with the refrigerator – it couldn't hurt…  

Back to the pasta - - - another “secret” to a great Italian pasta dish is to marry the pasta with the sauce before it is put on the plate.  You do this by slightly under-cooking the pasta, then taking it out of the boiling water and putting it directly into the pan with the sauce.  Do not dump out the pasta water yet, just take the pasta out with tongs or a pasta pick-er-upper and put it in the sauce.  Keep the heat on the sauce for minute or two more to let the pasta finish cooking and it will also absorb some of the sauce.  If it cooks to fast and your sauce dries up, add a spoon full or two of the pasta water to re-hydrate and then turn off the heat.  Then add some grated cheese right into the pan and mix all around so the sauce, pasta and cheese all gets happy with one another.  

Third course can be a salad or some other kind of vegetable.   It makes more sense, if you think about it, to have the salad at the end of meal because it helps with digestion.   Again, keep it simple.  The best salad I have had from my Nonna in Italy is when she brought out a big wooden bowl full of all the salad fixings to the table.  It had some different kinds of lettuce, a few carrots, a few stalks of celery, an onion and other green.  She passed the bowl around and you took what you wanted from the bowl, cutting the portion you wanted and made your own salad on your plate.  This way you can make your salad exactly the way you want it and the other person at the table can do the same.  

The last course is desert.  If you choose to have one, make it something small and refreshing to fully close out the dining experience.   Here, I have had a small plate of fruit and cheese.   I've also had Gelato!  Again, however, the portions are small.  When I buy 2 scoops of gelato, together they fit inside a small ½ cup container or small cone.  It’s all that you really need after a big meal.  Your sweet tooth is satisfied and again, your stomach is not bulging or in pain.  It is just enough – the icing on the cake, if you will…   And if you want cake have cake, or pie – have it – just remember to keep it small so your mind and body can really appreciate what you are eating and to take the time to actually taste what you are eating.  

Now, the last step in the process can be the hardest – depending on how much wine you have had.  But the “norm” over here is after you sit for a few minutes and your food is digesting, you get up and take a walk after dinner.  Not a strenuous “let’s get physical” kind of walk, but a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood.   You would be amazed at how great this makes you feel.  Just a short stroll – 10, 20 minutes – to help the food digest and then you can go home and miraculously have room for more wine!    Some people I've met here wait until after their walk to have desert.  Either way, it is a great way to end the dining experience.  

And there you go – follow these suggestions and you can have your own ‘night in Italy’ in the comfort of your own home.   It really is possible and will save you the cost of a plane ticket, and hotel room, and lugging around a heavy bag, and - - - on you get the picture.   Bon Appetite!   

Ciao!

Pisa 6/8 - 6/11

6/8 –
I took the bus from Siena to Pisa.  The hotel desk clerk told me the trains were ‘on strike’ earlier in the week and are not reliable so the bus would be a better choice.   I didn’t mind it at all as you get to see more of the countryside and lots of little towns close up.  When I got off the bus in Pisa, I crossed the street in front of the bus, found a bench, got out my map and hotel info and took a few minutes to get my bearings.    I realized I was on the wrong side of the street and went to cross again; I looked back and saw the bus was still there and the bus driver watching me.   He smiled and gave me a signal as if asking if I needed help.   I had figured it out by that point, so I waved, smiled and nodded and he waved back and then finally pulled away.  I’m pretty sure if I would have looked lost, he would have hopped out of his seat and helped me.   No one does this on the train.    No one has even ever asked to see my ticket on the train.  From this point on, I’m sticking with the bus whenever I can.    

I arrived at the Pisa airport bus stop around 9:15am and went inside to get two cappuccinos and a bus ticket to Pisa’s central station, which is just a little over a mile from here.  I thought about walking until I remembered how heavy my bag is.   Why did I pack so many clothes?!  Now that I am here and doing all this moving around, I wish I would have stuck to my original plan to only bring a carry on size bag.

You don’t need a full sized wardrobe when traveling for months on end.  The only person who cares what you are wearing is you.  I could wear the exact same outfit every day and no one would fault me for it.  Yes there are fashion king and queens over here, but they live here and have access to a full closet.  And Italians do know how to put together an outfit.  The big fashion trends here are scarves and boots – worn by both women and men.  And men carry purses too, or hand bags, or satchels, or whatever you are comfortable calling them – they carry them.  Everyone carries them.   Now everywhere I go I leave something behind to in order to lighten my load – either at a church or in a ‘clothes for the poor’ bin.  If I haven’t worn the shirt or pants yet at this point in the trip, it is soon to be left behind for someone else to enjoy.  I figure by the end of my journey I will only have one outfit left and then I will be able to fill my suitcase with wine, cheese and other Italy food specialties for the trip back home.   I want my new greeting phrase to be, “Hi, my name is Linda, I’m traveling through your county and this is the outfit I will be wearing.”

After I get a ticket for the local bus and somehow find the bus stop, I still am not sure if I’m at the right place, so I do what I have learned to do so well – ask someone who is standing nearby.  I approach a young guy, say excuse me, ask in my best Italian if this is the bus for Pisa central – he says yes.   A bus finally shows up, I stand there a moment and then look at him, he nods and we get on the bus.  It makes a few stops, but nothing is announced so I’m really not sure where we are.  Then it comes to my stop and the young man turns to me and nods and says “this one”.   I thank him and clumsily get off the bus with my 45 pound dead weigh suitcase.  He was so nice, he got out of his seat and helped me with my bag and then wished me a good journey.   I am so lucky to find nice people in my time of need…

I find the hotel, which is very close to the station and have to leave my bag as my room is not yet ready.  The girl working the desk gives me a map and points me in the direction of the Leaning tower.  I take off to get my first look at the town but first I stop for another cappuccino (I’m addicted!) and a small pasty.   I then walk for over two hours before I finally reach the tower.  It’s not as easy to find as it is buried deep inside the town and you cannot see it over the tops of the other buildings.  No bother, it was a great walk. 

It makes me a little sad to find that graffiti abounds all over the place here.   Stupid people – why must they destroy such beauty things?  I really do enjoy street art, like this piece – it was painted by American artist, Keith Haring.

It’s the people that simply feel the need to deface historical churches, buildings and statues just for the sake of destroying something that bother me.  And here, it’s everywhere.   What inspires a person to deface a master piece?  Do they actually think that their name or profanity laced statement is so incredibly remarkable that they have the right to destroy something that has been around for thousands of years?  Stupid idiots - - -it inspires me to want to knock their blocks off...   But instead I step back and feel sorry for them because they apparently have no ability to appreciate historical beauty.    The poor blockheads, their sight is so limited that they can only see as far as the end of their nose.            

Once I finally make it to the Field of Miracles where the Leaning Tower, Baptistery, and Duomo are it is surreal.  I have seen the tower on TV, in movies, in books and post cards – but to be standing here in front of it, I feel like I am in a dream.   It is a very weird sensation.   I stood still for the longest time.  I keep thinking I will wake up or the phone will ring and I will be pulled out of this trance and be back at my desk in Chicago.  How did I get here?  How am I actually seeing this?  I am blown away by the reality of this trip and I am continuously in awe of my surroundings.   

I could stand there all day, but I’m hungry again – hey, I just walked for hours on nothing but a few small cups of coffee and a croissant!  I decide I will come back tomorrow and spend the day exploring all the monuments.   So I mosey on down the street and snag a table with a view.   Sweet!

Excellent olive oil!

My excellent and very entertaining waiter! 

After refueling, I head back to the hotel so I can check in and recharge.  It’s a hike back and I walk off some of lunch, and that ½ liter of wine, with a long walk along around the town and along the Arno River that runs through Pisa.  It is a beautiful town.

 

6/9 –

I take off in the morning and stop at a local street market to pick up some goodies for lunch; pecorino cheese (my new obsession – and the older the better), focaccia bread and some fruit.  These street markets are making me wish I had a kitchen to cook in… 

I fill up my water bottle at one of the public fountains I pass along the way and I am all set as I head towards the Field of Miracles.   Before I got there, I stumble upon another market – this one was a rock and gem stone market.   I love me some rocks, so I had to stop and take a peak.    

(hmmm - - - that name sounds familiar....)

I am off again and I come to another street market - - - Saturday is definitely market day in Pisa. 

\

I come up upon the Leaning tower, I am again taken aback at the fact that I am walking down a street and seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa in my sites. 

As I walk towards the tower, I pass a street artist using spray paints.  I’m fascinated by his technique.

He tries to get me to buy one but I tell him, using my best Italian and broken Ital-English, that I am traveling for a long time and I don’t think it would make it home intact.   He says he likes my accent and asks “are you Australian?”   I laugh and tell him I’m from Pennsylvania and most recently, Chicago.  He says I don’t have a hard English accent that is why he thought I was from Austria.   I take this as a compliment…  I have been in this foreign country so long now that sometimes when I hear a hard American accent it hurts my ears.   I wonder how long that will take to disappear once I leave this place…  But I can’t handle that thought right now so I push it away.  I am here, right now, today, this moment – and that is all I allow myself to concentrate on.   It’s time for a little lunch in the shadow of the Leaning Tower, just me and Pedro.  

I sit in the shadow of the tower for about an hour, eating lunch and doing some people watching.  Everyone is taking pictures trying to make it look like they are either holding up or pushing over the monument.   In watching their antics, it is as if they think they are the only person that ever had this idea.  It is very entertaining.   Soon, thought, Pedro wants to get in on the act as well – so….. 

I have no desire to climb the tower, there is nothing to see on the inside other than the staircase and the building IS leaning, so I am happy just to watch the action from the outside.  I do buy a combo ticket to tour the Duomo, Baptistery, Camposanto Cemetery and the Duomo Museum since I am here to help out Italy’s economy in any way that I can.   I’m thinking my cappuccino and wine consumption alone must be having a positive effect….

The Duomo is another beautiful church – not as much gold as in the Rome churches, but paintings, lots of marble and a mummy in a glass coffin.

The mummy is Saint Ranieri (1117-1161), the patron saint of Pisa.  He was the son of a rich sea trader and was known as a hard-partying, touring musician who one night was inspired to set fire to his instrument and open his arms to heaven.  I’m thinking he may have been one of Jimi Hendricks’ role models.  After Ranieri gave up his partying days, he gave away all of his money, joined a monastery and was known for delivering spirited sermons from the pulpit.  I don’t know why that makes him a saint, but there you go.

The building is known for its special acoustics.   Make a loud sound in the baptism font and it echoes for up to 10 seconds.   A priest standing at the baptismal font would sing three tones within the 10 seconds and make a musical chord.   The 15^Th century architects who built the 250 foot wide dome intended the building to act as a Baptistery and as a musical instrument.     

I did walk up the steps of the second level of the Baptistery to see the view.  There were only 75 steps.  Again, they are steep and in a small enclosed space.  Oh joy! 

Then I visited the Camposanto Cemetery, which is not like a cemetery I’ve ever seen before as all the people buried here are either under tiles on the floor on in a sarcophagus along the walls.  Two interesting points here; one being that the courtyard’s grass grows on “Holy Land” dirt that was shipped here by returning Crusaders from Jerusalem’s Mount Calvary, where Christ was crucified.  It is said that it can turn bodies into bones in a single day.   I decided not to walk on the grass...    The second interesting thing is that this is the only building in the Field of Miracles that was bombed during WW2 and the restoration took 20+ years to complete.  I watched several newsreels that followed the progress and it is amazing what humans can do – both from the power of destruction to the power of rebuilding.   

 A chapel in the cemetery with relics of different saints - yep, bones...

I take one last stroll around the monument area before heading back towards my hotel and the river in search of place to have a cold, refreshing beer. 

I found a great spot, turns out it is the only restaurant on the river. 

It had a great happy hour and I heard the band warming up for later, so I had to stay.  Happy hour in Italian bars always include a spread of food, and as is the usual, it all fresh ingredients.  This one included bruschetta, some kind of tomato spread, pesto spread, olives, pine nuts and focaccia bread.  Beers come in small (piccolo) which is 8-10 oz for 3 euro, and medium (media) which is 16 oz for 6 euro.  Wine is sold by the glass or bottle – the price depends on the wine.  If you get the house wine (which is either made specifically for the restaurant or is a home town vino), you can buy it by the glass (4 euro), ½ liter (8 euro) or the bottle (10 euro).    If you buy the bottle and you don’t finish it, you can take it with you, so you see why I usually buy the bottle…   The band here includes a violin, guitar, sting bass and accordion player.   They made a great sound and, by the crowd’s reaction, I’m guessing it is Pisa kind of music.  I picked up a CD.  I am trying to buy a local band or street musician CD from every town I go to so I can remember this incredible journey through the music. 

6/9 –

My last day here was spent just walking the streets, trying to get lost. 

Found a good fishing hole...

As I was planning my journey, I was told by some friends that three nights was too long to stay in Pisa and I considered altering my trip but am so glad that I didn’t.   Pisa is not just the Leaning Tower; it is a vibrant alive town with lots of paths and streets to walk.  And seeing as I was coming off of the hills and steps of Siena, the flat land was a welcome change.  Here again, every shop I stopped in, every restaurant, bar, gelato place and church I visited, the people were warm and welcoming.   Is it because of their economy?  I don’t know.  All I know is that I am very happy I had the 4 days to spend here. 

Next stop – Lucca!

Ciao~