Ciao Pisa!

Yesterday was my complete day in Pisa.  Italy is a beautiful country and I fell in love with it within the first hour of walking around!  I don't know if I'd ever go back to Pisa but it was definitely worth the stop.  Besides the tower and cathedral there wasn't much else to do.  I planned my own walking tour but I was at my half way point within an hour and half.  I would recommend Pisa for a layover or a day trip, but nothing more.

My trip to Pisa wasn't bad.  It only rained for an hour and half of my sightseeing which was when I toured inside the Cathedral, Catacombs, and Baptistery.  Each were AMAZING!! (and dry.)  My tours started when I decided I was going to climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  Yep, I did it.  It's a bit pricey but it was worth the view at the top!

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

Inside the tower

Yep, that's me with one of the bells at the top

Look at that view!

 The strangest thing about climbing up and down the tower was depending on where on the lean you were depended on the steepness of the climb/descend.  At one point when I was climbing down I felt as though I should sit because that is how far I was leaning back to keep my balance.

After climbing the tower, I checked out the Baptistery.  It was really simple inside but had elegant carvings and stained glass windows.  I also checked out the catacombs which were right next door.  What surprised me the most was that it is still used.  The most recent date of a tomb I found was 2009.  I didn't realize it was still in use.

The Baptistery 

One of the windows

The Baptismal Font

The Catacombs

Paintings like this lined the walls.
If you look in the bottom center you can spot St. Michael!

The most recent tomb

My final stop was the Cathedral.  After the Barcelona Cathedral, it was hard to impress me.  However, I loved the simplicity of the Cathedral.  There was still the elaborate paintings on the ceiling and beautiful statues but I liked the simplicity of the layout.

The Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral

Saint Ranieri

I have to say even though there wasn't a lot to do in Pisa I enjoyed my time.  It was a nice break from running around Barcelona and before my Rome trip.