Pisa was a two hour drive from Parma, a nice little day trip. We left before any of the cafes opened so by the time we hit the mountains we were in serious need of caffeine. We stopped at the highway rest stop where there was an “autogrille”. Expecting the burned carafe coffee that one would find in a roadside stop at home we were pleasantly surprised when we ended up with a cappuccino and fresh squeezed orange juice. The barrista was happy to serve us and perhaps even happier to be drinking wine from a paper cup at 8:30 in the morning. This country is civilized I tell you.
We arrived in Pisa and made our way to one of the gates to the city. Rounding the corner and entering the gate we definitely had one of those “stop in your tracks and gape shamelessly” moments. The tower is just one of the attractions in the Piazza dei Miracoli (Plaza of Miracles); there is also a stunning cathedral and baptistry all made of marble and set on a lush green lawn.Of course we couldn’t resist following in the footsteps of millions before us in snapping a couple cheesy shots of us “holding up the tower” or “pushing the tower over”
On our drive back we passed through Carrara, and snapped this shot of the mountains.
Pop Quiz: Why do these mountains appear snowy and the surrounding mountains do not?It has nothing to do with altitude.
While you ponder, here are a few more pics:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=15382&l=2fa69&id=700132588
