Our Last Day in Pisa - Italy Bound with our Recumbent Tandem - CycleBlaze

October 19, 2015

Our Last Day in Pisa

Security was high for visitors who were climbing the Tower. Bags and clothing were checked before entry was granted.
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The man is not holding a golf club....he is aiming the ubiquitous selfie stick to capture their photo against the backdrop of the Tower.
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A morning visit to the Duomo. The lean of the Cathedral is to the far right and is barely perceptible.
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We enjoyed visiting the Baptistry, which is an impressive structure with much historical and architectural significance for the city and the Italian Renaissance.
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Good views from the second level of the Baptistry.
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The interior of the Baptistry -it is worth climbing the 100+ stairs to the second level.
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The carved pulpit in the Baptistry was completed by Nicola Pisano in 1260, the same sculptor whose work we enjoyed in Siena. He is one of the most renowned sculptors of the Italian renaissance and it is felt that the Renaissance began with his work on this pulpit.
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The Baptistry was designed to have perfect accoustics: a resonating chamber. Here, the woman is singing and demonstrating the echo effect - impressive sounds.
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The Baptistry interior and dome.
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The bronze statue of St. John the Baptist, sculpted by Italo Griselli, stands in the oversized font of the Baptistry
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Everything is oversized in the Baptistry, including the doors. Note the exquisite carvings and detailed elements above and around the doors.
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Above the large doors of the Baptistrry, the beauty is in the details....which is apparently not lost on this local pigeon.
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The Pisa Baptistry of St. John has a lean of .6 degrees towards the Cathedral.
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The scooter used in the film Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.
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We succumbed to the popular pasttime of "holding up" the Tower.
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These people were less shy and seemed a bit more enthusiastic about helping the Tower to stay upright.
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we were lucky to be in Pisa on a day when the medieval wall was open for walking along the top. This is a view of the Jewish cemetery.
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The birds are enjoying having a personal space to perch on the roof.
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Barry looking down from a lookout on the medieval wall.
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What a great view of these magnificent buildings from the wall - the Baptistry of St. John, the Duomo and the Tower.
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We avoided these vendors who were always around tourist areas. It was fascinating to watch their strategy of surrounding tourists and cajoling them to buy from them. This couple succumbed to the pressure. Somehow, we weren't tempted to buy a watch as a souvenir of Pisa.
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The interior of the Duomo is grand in scale and design. We recognized the striped design similar to the Siena Duomo.
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L'Ostellino had great atmosphere and quirky decor.
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This small Panineria was recommended to us and their food lived up to the compliments. Fresh and unusual ingredients - back to our room to have dinner. It is our last night in Italy and we are truly reluctant to leave.
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