NORWEGIAN JADE - Day 3 Livorno/Pisa

Today is Livorno and Pisa (we are giving Florence a miss as it would be just too much to do in a day).
6:45 wake-up call – feels like work to me. Breakfast on the top floor where John had his first black pudding (mix of oatmeal, spices and blood eaten by heathens such as Brits) in 10 years.
On to the bus, seats behind the driver with great views. We sit in front of a very sad gentleman who is travelling in a wheelchair and did not wish to leave the bus when we arrived at the Miracle Square. We figure he is doing this trip for his wife’s benefit and it is costing him dearly.

Lovely little hostess, Libera, gave us background information during the 30 min drive to Pisa. The countryside is a mix of England and Abbotsford as it is very green and flat with rain and several rivers. John was further reminded of England when a train with only two cars passed as the Canadian trains tend to be miles long.
Livorno was very poor town made up of mostly prostitutes and criminals as the power that be in Pisa banished them to this town; their equivalent of Australia. At one time the port and commerce were at Pisa but the river silted up and the port had to move down the river which improved the fortunes of the poor folks in Livorno. Unfortunately, some traditions remains as there were several prostitutes along the roadway between Livorno and Pisa at Camp Darby, the first US military base in Europe after WW II.

Hawkers were selling umbrellas to travellers even before we got off the bus. Unfortunately, we ultimately had to succumb as it started raining heavily. Traditional tourist stuff... tee shirts, fridge magnets, knock-off handbags and watches, etc. were everywhere.

The Miracle Square is made up of the Baptistery, the Cathedral and the Tower which were built in this order. While there is still scaffolding on the Tower, it is in the process of being removed. Definitely leans, in fact, from one angle, it appears banana shaped due to the modifications made during the original construction. The ETA for climbing the tower was 1 hour and cost 15 EUROs (which for 294 steps, John estimates at approx. .0 7 cents CDN per step.) We did however go into the cathedral which is impressive with the Galileo chandelier where he formulated his theory about pendulum swing. We were told that due to the sandy and waterlogged soils, many of the building in Pisa are leaning and, in fact, some of the residents as well. But the reason for residents leaning is the Chianti and the Holy Wine which is highly recommended.
John had a chance to weigh himself to provide him assurance that he could continue to eat and still fit into his clothes.

Back to ship for more food, rest in the cabin and more food. Assured John that he should make the most of it this week as the next 3 weeks will be very lean ~ lots salads are in the future for the Chinnerys.