You want a Pisa me!?...well In Bocca al Lucca!
As the search to finish the bucket list before it's too late continues, some friends and I took a small weekend vacation to Tuscany. It was a perfect getaway from good ol' Viterbo, and we had a blast.
Upon our arrival, we were directed by my phone's GPS to an eerily lit alley off the main shopping street. It was scary at first, but the moment the host of our B&B opened the door we were so glad we came. He showed us straight to our apartment, basically, and we all had a nice cosy space to settle into. We got a delicious recommendation for an authentic Tuscan restaurant by our new friend and advisor, but our main task that evening was not getting food but rather establishing our game plan for the next day. Completely in Italian over the dinner table, we decided we would tackle both Lucca and Pisa in a short 24-hour time period.
The next morning, we found our Bed & Breakfast did not disappoint on either part of it's name. After a great night's rest, we awoke to fresh, buttery croissants accompanied by in-house fresh made yogurt and mandarin marmalade! Best breakfast of my life! Our host really knew how to cook, and he helped us get our train times set for Lucca and directed us to Piazza del Duomo right there in Pisa.
A short train ride away was the gorgeous city of Lucca. It's very unique but adorable. The streets were lined with budding trees and the skyline was filled with Tuscan homes and church bell towers. We went on a calm and sunny day, so the city seemed to just be waiting for us to explore. We went in and out of churches and shopped on corso. Besides culture from the past, there were several modern statues around the city that were placed by lusciously green parks. We decided to picnic in one and ponder the odd pieces of art. After un buon divertimento, we waved goodbye to the carousel and bike riding Luccani and headed back to our base.
Back in Pisa, we became the tourists you'd expect (except a little better because we spoke Italian...). We made our way to see the most breaktaking bell tower ever. La Torre Pendente or The Leaning Tower of Pisa was unreal in person. It's the kind of thing you see so much of you don't think it will overwhelm you...but it sure does! We climbed up to the top (although with some difficulty- the stairs are super worn and you can really feel the tilt!) and saw a spectacular view of the catedrale, baptistero, and the rest of Pisa. What a workout! True it wore me out, but it was so worth it. After some time in the cathedral and around the piazza (OH! and don't forget the signature "holding the tower up" photo), we decided to make our way back to the center.
We were dying for some sugar in our blood after all that time on our feet, and we stumbled upon an American bakery right off the Arno River. To our surprise, our cupcakes were actually very good and kept us going for the rest of our afternoon filled with shopping and Tuscan air.
Before we caught our train home the next morning, we stopped by the Keith Haring mural. It's one awesome piece of art! It got me thinking. If you get a chance to hang out in Pisa, I really recommend a quick pop over the church wall it lives on.
Overall, it was a great weekend getaway. I already miss who we like to call our "second host dad" at the B&B and the fresh Tuscan breeze. If you thought I wouldn't be a good traveler, let this be the proof I can help organize a spectacular trip. Take that, difficult train schedules and confusing street maps! I did it!
Upon our arrival, we were directed by my phone's GPS to an eerily lit alley off the main shopping street. It was scary at first, but the moment the host of our B&B opened the door we were so glad we came. He showed us straight to our apartment, basically, and we all had a nice cosy space to settle into. We got a delicious recommendation for an authentic Tuscan restaurant by our new friend and advisor, but our main task that evening was not getting food but rather establishing our game plan for the next day. Completely in Italian over the dinner table, we decided we would tackle both Lucca and Pisa in a short 24-hour time period.
The next morning, we found our Bed & Breakfast did not disappoint on either part of it's name. After a great night's rest, we awoke to fresh, buttery croissants accompanied by in-house fresh made yogurt and mandarin marmalade! Best breakfast of my life! Our host really knew how to cook, and he helped us get our train times set for Lucca and directed us to Piazza del Duomo right there in Pisa.
A short train ride away was the gorgeous city of Lucca. It's very unique but adorable. The streets were lined with budding trees and the skyline was filled with Tuscan homes and church bell towers. We went on a calm and sunny day, so the city seemed to just be waiting for us to explore. We went in and out of churches and shopped on corso. Besides culture from the past, there were several modern statues around the city that were placed by lusciously green parks. We decided to picnic in one and ponder the odd pieces of art. After un buon divertimento, we waved goodbye to the carousel and bike riding Luccani and headed back to our base.
Back in Pisa, we became the tourists you'd expect (except a little better because we spoke Italian...). We made our way to see the most breaktaking bell tower ever. La Torre Pendente or The Leaning Tower of Pisa was unreal in person. It's the kind of thing you see so much of you don't think it will overwhelm you...but it sure does! We climbed up to the top (although with some difficulty- the stairs are super worn and you can really feel the tilt!) and saw a spectacular view of the catedrale, baptistero, and the rest of Pisa. What a workout! True it wore me out, but it was so worth it. After some time in the cathedral and around the piazza (OH! and don't forget the signature "holding the tower up" photo), we decided to make our way back to the center.
We were dying for some sugar in our blood after all that time on our feet, and we stumbled upon an American bakery right off the Arno River. To our surprise, our cupcakes were actually very good and kept us going for the rest of our afternoon filled with shopping and Tuscan air.
Before we caught our train home the next morning, we stopped by the Keith Haring mural. It's one awesome piece of art! It got me thinking. If you get a chance to hang out in Pisa, I really recommend a quick pop over the church wall it lives on.
Overall, it was a great weekend getaway. I already miss who we like to call our "second host dad" at the B&B and the fresh Tuscan breeze. If you thought I wouldn't be a good traveler, let this be the proof I can help organize a spectacular trip. Take that, difficult train schedules and confusing street maps! I did it!
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| Symbol of Pisa |
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| ceiling of the Cathedral |
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| Our little apartment! |
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| la colazione |
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| the most amazing marmalade in the world |
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| Alphonso!! |
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