Day Ten

June 18, 2009 8:37A.M.

Time seems to do funny things in Italy. Days appear to fly by but then it feels like we've been here since 119 A.D. I'm enjoying this trip mostly because it is living up to my expectations and then keeps going. The sky has been blue, the birds singing. The fellow travelers have yet to be obnoxious or whiny or inconsiderate. Who knows, though. In the next two days it may all turn sour like year old milk. Somehow I doubt it though.

Our plans for Pisa yesterday went off with only a few hitches. The accident, horrible car and trailer wreck, that held us up a bit on the highway. Then the tiny spits of rain as we climbed the Leaning Tower. Everything else, perfetto.

We start off with pictures in front of the tower. The quintessential holding it up ones. And the one for school of all the CHES teachers reading a book, travel guides in this case. The new principal asked us to send her a picture of teachers reading. Thought this one was fun.

Our tickets to climb the tower weren't until 2P.M. and it was still only noon. We all broke off but ended up in the same place. At church, if you can believe it. The cathedral was holding mass because it was a holiday in Pisa. Beyond-gorgeous church filled with numerous priests and nuns conducting service.

We met up to have lunch at a pizzaria. Sadly it was already time to say Arriverderci to Vicky and Alan. Watching part of our little clan walk away was like cutting an arm off. Safe flight guys.

But we must plod on. Gordon and I had our tour first and clambered up the surreally tilting stairs. Waving to Bryson and Allison at each tier was fun. Out on top it starts to rain. Here I am on a 14% leaning tower on smoothly worn marble about to get slippery. Yep, I clung to everything I could rather than plummet headlong over the side.

Jim and Julie went up after us, yet we never bumped into each other. They made it to the top. You can tell because here is Jim doing the victory dance.

Julie was eager to see her hometown of Livorno, so we headed off to there. What an interesting drive. Especially past the military base. the GPS took us to the dockyards where cruise ships sail into. Julie recognized wehre her dad used to work and parks she used to play in when she was 8. A trip down memory lane.

At home (ie, castle) we did two loads of laundry and became more intimate with each others things. then we made reservations at Il Foculare.

The restaurant and a gas station seemed to be the biggest part of town. It was a great place. We may not have wanted to sit in il gardino because of the swarms of mosquito. But the fried veggie plate made up for it. I had this amazing house special that was meat and onions cooked in a broth inside of a terra cotta pot for DAYS! Oh, wonderful.

Home for limoncello and bed.