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| Italy 2008 |
| Pisa |
| "The only way of catching a train I have ever discovered is to miss the train before." - Gilbert Chesterton |
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After our first week of classes we were looking forward to the weekend. After
considering what to do, we decided to hop on the train and head up to Pisa. Our
classmates headed off to Cortona, or to the beach. St. Roberta made a face when
we told her where we were going. "Brutto." "Ugly."
considering what to do, we decided to hop on the train and head up to Pisa. Our
classmates headed off to Cortona, or to the beach. St. Roberta made a face when
we told her where we were going. "Brutto." "Ugly."
| JW in his Mormon Missionary pose |
| Waiting at the train station in Siena |
| Vanessa at the fountain by Pisa's train station |
We didn't find Pisa to be ugly, but we could understand where Roberta was coming
from. Siena is a remarkably clean city, with very little graffiti. Pisa, however, is a little
dirtier and much more written upon. It was also very hot, and full of tourists. After a
week of relative Italian immersion, it was a bit of a shock to be hearing more English
than Italian. But that's Pisa for you.
We walked around the tower, but didn't climb it. There was a long wait...several
hours...and we wouldn't have been able to make our train back to Siena. But we
spent some time in one of the museums and in the cathedral, and greatly enjoyed it.
from. Siena is a remarkably clean city, with very little graffiti. Pisa, however, is a little
dirtier and much more written upon. It was also very hot, and full of tourists. After a
week of relative Italian immersion, it was a bit of a shock to be hearing more English
than Italian. But that's Pisa for you.
We walked around the tower, but didn't climb it. There was a long wait...several
hours...and we wouldn't have been able to make our train back to Siena. But we
spent some time in one of the museums and in the cathedral, and greatly enjoyed it.
| Pleased to meet you, Curry |
| Alleys in Pisa, leading to the Arno River. |
Our first view of the Tower
| The Tower, the cathedral, and the baptistry. |
| Vanessa does the tourist thing. |
| Inside the cathedral. |
We had plans back in Siena that evening, so we rushed from the tower and its
crowds to the train station, only to be minutes late for our train. We than began an
enjoyable game of cascading near misses. Because we missed the first one, we
also missed the next one...they are scheduled just so. But we had a nice layover,
and heard a spirited discussion about the value of a shaker in a bar where we sat
drinking coffee. We arrived back in Siena too late to make our appointment, but
having had a good day regardless.
crowds to the train station, only to be minutes late for our train. We than began an
enjoyable game of cascading near misses. Because we missed the first one, we
also missed the next one...they are scheduled just so. But we had a nice layover,
and heard a spirited discussion about the value of a shaker in a bar where we sat
drinking coffee. We arrived back in Siena too late to make our appointment, but
having had a good day regardless.