Pisa & Firenze, Italia

On our way to Florence (Firenze) from Cinque Terre, we stopped at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. (I like the name Firenze a lot by the way. wouldn't it be cool to name a child Firenze... they'd be a sweet person) We didn’t do much but look at it and its sideways nature. Pretty much The Leaning Tower is the only thing in Pisa. Except for a huge McDonalds in the train station with Pizza on the menu and a bar that serves alcohol and espresso.

Don’t worry, I didn’t eat at Mc Donalds while I was in Italy. .. So the Leaning Tower first tilted because the soil under its foundation abruptly shifted.

Also, it tilts even more (about 1-2 m per year) due to the number of tourists who head up its steps to the top. Currently, it is considered a stable building however, but to me, tilting/slanting/leaning while in a building is always a bit sketchy. Okay, so for your enjoyment, I held up the Leaning Tower (the 1^st tourist of ALL time to take a photo like this!! It was my idea! Just kidding, everyone was doing it) and then I kicked it over. The photo of the 3 of us I swear the guy overcompensated and made the tower straighter then it is.

We hopped on the train for the rest of the way to Florence. I was personally STOKED as we stopped through a town called EMPOli.

So cool. Took a photo. We got to our hostel, and it was a treat! It was cheap, like 20 euro a night, and it was incredible. Like a hotel for students only. It had a bar, restaurant, swimming pool, gym, sauna, and was SO clean! We were really stoked about it. We were in an 8 person dorm so we got to meet a bunch of people including meeting up with the friends we made in Cinque Terre. We went to this buffet which is really typical style in Italy where you buy 1 drink and get an all you can eat buffet dinner with it. The dinner was delicious because it was all typical Italian dishes, but not pasta or pizza- so it was like beans, veggies, salads, etc Italian Style. We ate. So. Much. Thank goodness for the hostel’s gym!

In the morning, we went straight to see the David at the Accademia Gallery. We saw a whole bunch of really interesting photography that is supposed to mimic the style of the David in modern day. Then all of a sudden we stepped out into a corridor and there he was, The David himself. Wow.

What an incredible statue; like I said before, Michelangelo was so remarkably artistic and talented. He looks like a real person in full stance. It is believed that it is the moment right before he sends his slingshot to hit Goliath, and he is deep in thought about this moment. His right hand is extremely out of proportion,

allegedly intentional. His private areas are much too small/ out of proportion for his body size, again because it represents that he was a true thinker and not motivated by sex like most men of the time (or really of all time ha). His forehead is scrunched like his thoughts are completely immersed in the moment. I personally like his hair and his torso the best because if you closed your eyes and opened them slowly, it looked like a real person. I snuck 2 pictures of the real thing, again not allowed. There are 3 David statues in Florence, 1 is real seen here, 1 is fake, and the other is also fake and made of bronze. Nick, Julie, and I took a photo with the fake one shown here.

We enjoyed wandering around Florence afterwards, stopping at the Duomo, Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. Again another magnificent Dome, but the exterior is coolest- it looks like a giant shell made out of marble.

Next door are the “Gates of Paradise,” named by Michelangelo,-- spectacular gold doors with ornate scenes from the Old Testament etched into the doors. I loooved these doors and could have stared at the artwork for hours!

We walked across the giant bridge called The Ponte Vecchio, one of the 3 oldest bridges in the world!! It wasn’t destroyed in WWII and is flooded with tourists who look at the jewelry shops lining the entire bridge. I loved its view at night as well.

Today is the day we discovered the best, yes, the BEST gelato in all of Italy. It is just 2 bridges over from Pont Vecchio, called La Carraia. It was so smooth and creamy. I personally loved dark chocolate (obviously), Chocolate orange (reminded me of those orange chocolate sticks you get me from Trader Joes, Yee Ma), Cookies, and Black Cherry.

MMM. So we were in heaven with the gelato. I tell you, we went to soo many places and this really just was the best! Later that night in Florence we met up with the guys from Cinque Terre and met some of the Aussis and guys studying abroad in London in our room. It was really fun in Florence, but the next blog to come is the best part of Florence/ Tuscany. You’ll see!!