Pisa, Italy

Having spent a wonderful day in Florence the day after Thanksgiving, we set our sights towards Pisa on Saturday. Everyone I had talked with who had already gone to Pisa said the same thing - once you see the Tower, you're pretty much done with Pisa - and they were all correct. While Pisa is definitely not a destination unto itself, you can't be in the vicinity without stopping by to see one of the seven wonders of the medieval world.

Way back in 5th or 6th grade, I remember doing a social studies project about the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In my elementary school mind, the tower was extremely tall and has been ever since, so I was definitely surprised when the tower first came into view. At 183 feet, it is only about half as tall as I expected it to be. Construction on the tower began in 1173 and continued over two centuries by at least three different architects, each of whom attempted to correct the tilt of the tower. The shallow foundation on which the tower rests, coupled with unstable, marshy soil, created an ever-growing lean. The tower had to be closed in 1990 for repairs and an attempt to stabilize it, which successfully left it with a lean of around 5 degrees. Tourists are allowed to go inside and climb the 294 steps to the top, but we chose to just admire it from the ground.

Adjacent to the tower is the Pisa Duomo (Cathedral) which is a really beautiful building. Dating back to 1063, the Cathedral is the burial site of HRE Henry VII and the home to a lamp said to have caught the attention of Galileo during a church service because of its pendulum motion. Galileo was born and raised in Pisa and is said to have occasionally dropped things off the Tower to time their descents.

There are a few other buildings, situated beside the Cathedral and Tower, which house museums and such, but we didn't feel like they were worth the price of entry. While we probably only spent a total of an hour in Pisa, I'm definitely glad we went. We didn't do one of the fun, kick the tower or hold the tower up poses, much to the chagrin of some people and to the relief of others, who commented on my FB pictures from that day. We did, however, get a lot of laughs watching other people doing that. As for us, we were happy to walk away with a selfie in front of the tower! ;)