Tuscany
We
got an early start out of Venice. Most of the
bus is asleep as we traverse the flatlands around Padua, then Ferrara
(famous for
Torrone nougat), then Bologna. We start to climb.
These are the Apennines, the old mountain range that runs down the boot
of Italy. We are entering
Tuscany.
The rolling countryside, the mixture of fields and woods, the towns glowing in the sun, all bring back memories of paintings, movies, novels and other works of art set in this landscape. It has changed little over the centuries. The countryside slipping by the bus windows looks like the background from the Mona Lisa. Our fellow travelers are awake now, taking it in, drawn off into reveries by the enchanted landscape.
We reach the outskirts of Florence and turn towards the coast. This part of the Mediterranean is called the Ligurian Sea. It is lunch time, and we have a treat in store: we eat al fresco in a Luccan winery.
 The Fattoria il Poggio is set up to accommodate busloads of tourists. |
 Before lunch, we get a tour of the vinyard. Most of the varieties grown here are familiar to us from the Napa/Sonoma valleys of California |
 The excellent meal is topped off with a shot of Grappa, the local version of everclear. |
The Piazza dei Miracoli
The "Square
of Miracles" is the common name for the cathedral grounds in Pisa.
It houses the cathedral, the baptistery, a cemetery, and a bell tower. The bell
tower was built in 1123 on soft ground, without a proper foundation, and
soon tilted slightly to the southwest. A world-famous tourist attraction
was born.
It was actually difficult to get a clear picture of the tower. The lawn was full of young tourists holding their hands up so that a companion could snap a picture of them "holding the tower up." Finally the police came by and enforced the "Keep off the Grass" sign.
The Cathedral
 Building began in 1064 |
 The nave |
 Christ in majesty |
 Tomb of St. Ranieri |
 Cathedral doors |
 The altar |
The Baptistery
 The largest baptistery in Italy. |
 John the Baptist |
 |
 Detail of the baptismal font |
 Saint Leopold III |
 This pulpit by Nicola Pisano is often cited as a precursor to the Renaissance because of the classical motifs it incorporates. |