We awoke this morning docked in Livorno, the port city for Tuscany. We have to get going early as we have a tour to Pisa. We board our bus and are pleased we only have 22 on the tour. Our guide is Giordana who was actually born in Livorno. She speaks very good English and proves to be a terrific and funny guide. The road we travel into Pisa was originally constructed by the Romans in the 1st century and amazingly is still used today. We leave our bus and walk to Miracle Square where the tower and cathedral are located. We are booked at 11.30 to climb the tower (294 steps) so have time to purchase tickets for the Camposanto, an elaborate cemetery, and can then gain immediate entry into the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo). The Duomo is the 3rd largest cathedral behind those in Rome and London and is quite stunning. All of the buildings in the square have a lean to some extent, caused by the sandy soils and proximity to sea level (6.5 feet).
Our climb didn't prove too difficult although some people on our tour struggled. There are only 45 people allowed entry every 15 minutes but found our tour congested due to limited space. It is a strange sensation on entry because of the slope of the floor and similarly on the spiral staircase. The steps are made of marble but have worn significantly.
Even though the tour was a half day we felt it was a good snapshot of Pisa. The rest of the day was enjoyed back on board by the pool and jacuzzi just chilling, followed by cocktails in the bar. We are again joined by Karen and John for dinner, and after 3 nights we're starting to form a more natural friendship as we swap out daily stories. We are even discussing our respective country's politics! After dinner we enjoyed a show by our piano showman, Jonathon Ainsworth. His playing ability was amazing, even for a pom, and Col and Greg in particular were blown away.
Greg and Scott, even at this early stage, are really enjoying cruise life being our first experience.
