Today we were in beautiful Tuscany – its just wonderful and a place we’d like to visit for much longer one day.
After an hour and half drive through some lovely countryside we stopped off at the Leaning Tower of Pisa – it appears to lean a lot from some angles and not at all from other angles.
Since we entered France we have noticed a lot higher level of security. Soldiers at the sites we visit and full scanning, bag search and no large bags allowed in before you enter.
The church next to the tower had fantastic carvings on the doors..
Here is just one of those panels in detail…
The lions on the door knockers looked so worried..
… ah Tuscany is so beautiful!
An hours drive from Pisa and we arrived at Florence – birthplace of the Renaissance – the place where the Medici family rose to power.
A bit of lunchtime soccer near the Ponte Vecchio
Only jewellry shops are allowed on the Ponte Vecchio – Lorenzo did not like the smell of the butcher shops that were originally there and as he had to use the bridge several times a day to move between palaces for his safety – he got rid of the butchers and only allowed Florences best jewellers to have shops there.
The old wooden shop shutters are on all the shops,
There is a small section of locks on the bridge – its now and offence with a find of $250 Euros to put a lock on a bridge in Italy.
Florence has so many wonderful statues..
Michaelangelos David – (the orginal has now been placed in a museum, but this is where it was originally – outside the town hall)
Beautiful artwork on the buildings…
The church in the town square which was surrounded by shops
Great statue of Dante next to the church
This building has amazing paintings all over the front
… Florence really is as beautiful as it looks in all those pics..
we drove almost two hours back to the ship listening to Andrea Bocelli – who comes from the region and just enjoying the countryside.
Back to ship for coffee and cake before sail- away to the sounds of Pavorotti- and a beautiful sunset over the Mediterranean – a perfect day.
