We got up early this morning to grab a few more pastries from Il Pirata before catching our train to Pisa. Most of the pastries from the first round of baking were already gone, but we were able to get ricotta croissants and then grab an apple and peach pastry on the way out.
When we got to Pisa, we checked our bags at the train station and wandered toward the Field of Miracles (the area of the Leaning Tower). Along the way, we stopped at a farmer’s market and bought some raspberries and strawberries to munch on while we walked.
The large building is the Duomo, and the smaller one is the Baptistry. Both are surrounded by grassy expanses and more buildings that complete the Field of Miracles complex. The tower is just out of frame to the right, in front of the Duomo.
Once we reached the Field, we bought tickets to see the Duomo and Baptistery. Inside the Baptistry, we were treated to a brief serenade by one of the staff (the acoustics are excellent). The space is large without much light inside, so we weren’t able to get many worthwhile photos.
Next up was the Duomo. This was one of the few on our trip that allowed photos, but it was also pretty dark. I played around with some manual settings on the camera and was able to get a few better shots of the main altar. I was pleased to see that it was possible to enter for free if you intended to pray (everyone else had to pay just to go inside).
Random Note: Imagine one out of every two tourist around the field of miracles stopping in the middle of everything and holding their hands up in the air. Somewhere nearby, another person was taking their picture to make it look like they were holding up the tower (or pushing it over). We couldn’t bring ourselves to stoop to that level.
After we left the Duomo, it was time to climb the tower. I assumed that they had not corrected the interior to going up the spiral staircase as you circle the tower were fairly subtle. The steps were all worn in the same places, giving each one a dip in the middle from left to right. This uneven surface made the climb a challenge, even more so than the lean.
We were able to walk around the outside of the tower at three levels: one in the middle, one near the top where the bells hang, and one at the very top above the bells. We got the impression that the bells don’t actually ring. They were doing restoration work on the exterior of one of the levels near the top, and the entire middle column seemed to have work ongoing. The views were nice, but not as impressive as some others we’ve seen on the trip.
