Leaning in to Pisa

You can't really go to Tuscany without visiting Pisa, right? I mean, I guess you can because we skipped Pisa on our first visit to Tuscany back in 2007, but not this time!

We had a lot of driving planned for our time in Tuscany but the trip to Pisa was a simple 40 min by train which our resident unicorn is always excited about...

We arrived into Pisa Centrale mid-morning and began our meandering walking tour through the city on our way to the famed leaning tower. While not a hugely popular city outside of the Piazza del Duomo there are some interesting stops along the route from the train station to the tower. We saw a couple of monuments to the "fathers" of the Kingdom of Italy, an interesting mural by the American artist Keith Haring on the side of the Church of Sant'Antonio Abate, strolled across the Arno river looking for the tax houses that the Florentines claim are the reason they refuse to use salt for their bread, and finally a few piazza's and public arcades that dot the city.

Exploring a new place hand in hand

Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II

"Tuttomondo"

Walking along Corso Italia

Arno river

Monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi

Madonna dei Vetturini

Chiesa di San Michele in Borgo

We had a brief twirling session at Piazza dei Cavalieri before our obligatory pizza stop for lunch.

Piazza dei Cavalieri

And then we found the leaning tower. We weren't able to climb up it because you have to be 10 years + to climb so we couldn't take the girls up. I was perfectly okay with this development. I think the girls were all a bit disappointed.

not sure Olivia is all that impressed

After trying to hold the tower up, 

we jumped in line to see the Duomo, 

and then visited the Battistero di San Giovanni and played on the lawn

The tower peaking out from behind the Duomo

It might be time for a nap!

While the Tower, Duomo and Baptistery are all very impressive I think my favorite site was the Cloistered cemetery with it's impressive timber ceiling and fascinating frescoes and tombstones.

Before leaving we grabbed some gelato and one last picture of Piazza del Duomo and made our way back to the train station and our short trip back to Lucca

If you make it to Tuscany take a day to see Pisa. Sure, it's a little expensive and a lot crowded but if you lean into the time your going to spend their and do more than just the Piazza del Duomo I think you'll find the effort well worth the time!