Pisa August 20, 2006
Posted by CamdenKiwi in : Travel , trackback
I’ve finally found an open bar and a couple of restaurants, in a square by the river Arno. August is perhaps not the best month for visiting an Italian city, and the many signs saying ‘chuisi fiero’ make looking for that perfect restaurant in an ancient square rather more of a challenge than it ought to be.
It also makes the city and monuments less crowded, and I’ve spent the weekend wandering around looking at the architecture and sitting in the sun.
The famous tower is oddly beside the point. It sits in a large piazza dominated by the cathedral, a huge but light monument to the glory of God and the talents of late medieval Pisans. Together with the Baptistry, the three are a pleasing whole. It’s a treat to see an Italian cathedral with so much space around it, so it can be properly seen rather than hemmed in by tiny streets making it hard to see what’s there.
There’s something about Pisa that appeals greatly. It has beautiful churches and art but is less of a museum than Florence. It’s river seems to bring it together, with noble buildings on both sides and no obvious separation of North and South. People cycle everywhere and water in restaurant’s always comes in a jug. Recycling is big and this is the home of the slow food movement. It’s famous son’s include Fibonacci and Galileo. Political graffiti and posters are everywhere. It seems a very liveable place.
Comments»
Have you tried lovely old Lucca yet? Certainly worth having a looka Lucca (sorry - feeble Scottish accent based joke)…….
Sadly, it was only a very short trip. Next time
*sighs