Traveling to places new is fun and exciting for the most part, even with the unexpected at times. Our recent trip to Tuscany was a wonderful experience.
Despite a damaged suitcase, rainy days, crowded sites and a cancelled flight we had a memorable belated anniversary trip. Thanks for your advance well wishes, all were very much appreciated.
While traveling, we kept current on damages and deaths caused by dual hurricanes and tornadoes in the U.S. The devastation was staggering to see even from such a distance away. We hope that fellow bloggers, who were in harm's way, are now safe.
While there were no hurricanes, we had downpours on several days as the Tuscan region was having a very wet October. Rain gear and umbrellas came in handy very often on our day travels. The tour guide told us that September, had been very sunny and warm by comparison.
Unlike our UK tour last fall, we stayed in one hotel and traveled daily by tour bus to visit locales anywhere from an 60 to 90 minutes away. (Future posts will present more info on these locations.)
There were a number of highlights, one of the most memorable was seeing Florence Cathedral. Formally the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower, it was started in 1296 in the Gothic style and was structurally completed by 1436.
The Florence cathedral is the fourth largest in the world after Saint Peter's (Rome), Saint Paul's (London), and the Duomo in Milan (Italy). This structure was built to serve as a monument to the wealth and prestige of Florence. It was originally envisioned to be the largest cathedral in Italy and remains one of the largest in the world. Its creation came about from the need to compete with other Italian monuments, such as the Pisa Cathedral and its iconic tower.
Piazza dei Miracoli (formerly Piazza del Duomo) in Pisa dates back to 1064 |
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is still leaning, but did you know that the cathedral and Pisa Baptistry are too; however, the bell tower has the most dramatic lean. The Tower of Pisa is the freestanding bell tower (campanile) of Pisa Cathedral. All three are in the Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles), formally the Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square). The name change occurred in the early 20th century after Italian writer and poet Gabriele d'Annunzio described the space as a meadow of miracles (prato dei Miracoli) for the beauty of its architecture. In 1987, the square was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Leaning Tower is the third oldest building on Piazza dei Miracoli after the Pisa Cathedral and Baptistery (the largest baptistery in Italy). There's an admission fee and 30-minute time limit to walk up and back down the 294 tower staircase and usually a waiting line as well. We opted out of this experience.
Terme Tettuccio spa in Montecatini built from 1779-81 was restructured in 1928 |
Cost of a round trip on the funicular was 7 euros (about $7.63 in U.S. dollars) |
Waiting for a flight is tiresome and frustrating; safe travel is wonderful |
Last trip |
My advance apologies for not having enough time to read and comment on your recent posts. I hope to catch up by next week.