August 3 - Pisa

Yes, we are in Pisa, but first I want to add two postscripts about Cinque Terre.

First, you might remember the language difficulty we had with the butcher in Riomaggiore.  In the end, there was no difficulty at all.  When we mentioned the word "McDonalds", the butcher smiled broadly, took a piece of meat, ground it into mince, and pressed it into hamburger patties in no time flat!

Secondly, although the sky was a constant blue for our time in Cinque Terre there was obviously a weather disturbance somewhere.  When we first arrived, the waves in the little harbour crashed and  splashed noisily.  When we left, the waves had receded to a gentle ripple and several of the small boats were again bobbing tranquilly in the water of the marina.

Now for Pisa.  The train trip here was easy and our hotel is near the station.  It was a hot thirty-minute walk to the Leaning Tower.  The Tower looked just the same as I remember seeing in pictures.  Today, the difference is that I can no longer see these postcard sized pictures, but I could see the Tower itself.  It was very impressive and had a definite lean.  It was not quite as tall as I anticipated.  But there it was.

Tomorrow we will take a day trip to Lucca.