Pisa- Florence- and Orvieto

We woke up Saturday morning early and drove to Pisa.  It was a six hour drive but such a pretty drive.  It was so neat seeing all the towns perched on the hill tops.  It amazing to think they built right into the stone and these places are still standing.  We arrived at our hotel around one o’ clock.  Our hotel gave us a name of a Panini shop so we went to try it out.  It was like a real American deli.  We didn’t really know what to order.  The clerk recommended the Tuscan salami.  How and I are not huge deli meat people, but we are now converts.  It was so yummy!  The sandwiches were wrapped in paper so you could stroll the streets or sit under the umbrella and enjoy the view.  We decided to enjoy the view.  We continued walking the cobble streets (there was no cars allowed) to the leaning tower.  It was neat to see with the girls.  They had fun taking pictures.  We tried to get the picture that looks like you are holding it up.  We laughed as we looked around and saw everyone doing the same with their family and everyone getting equally frustrated that it wasn’t working.  Blythe’s picture is my favorite.  Two Australian men were talking pictures.  One used his feet to hold up the tower and the other suggested running from the toppling towers.  I asked the girls to try that one.  I think Blythe’s face is priceless!!  We couldn’t go up the tower because children have to be 8.  Guess what Blythe wants for her birthday!?  We then went in the Cathedral.  The gold ceiling was amazing.  I think the girls were more amazed by the real body in the coffin and all the skulls in the church.  We could walk up in the Baptistery, this is the circular building next to the church.  We had a neat view from up there, you could see the tower over the church and really tell it was leaning.  Someone even did some chanting so you could hear how much the place echoed.  It was such a beautiful sound.  Our new friends, the Hatteroths, met us in Pisa.  We walked the city with them and had a nice dinner.  We saw a poster in one of the shops showing doors of Tuscany.  So we decided to start a collection ourselves.  We even refined it a bit and are taking door knockers as well.  We hope to have a nice collection!

The next morning we got up to go to Florence.  We met the Hatteroths at the train station and took the train in to the city.  Xander (who is a day older than Blythe) Blythe, Delaney and Allison (who is a first grader) entertained themselves drawing on the way.  We walked all over Florence.  We got tickets and went to see the David.  The dads did a great job of getting the kids in free.  European union can get their kids in free, 6 and over for us have to pay.  So our husbands said the big kids were six and the little ones were 5.  Blythe was not too happy about it but it saved us some money.  I asked the kids to see how many animals they could find in the museum.  I think they looked at more paintings than we did.  They were hunting for those animals everywhere.  It certainly entertained them.  Then I had made a scavenger hunt of other animals in the city.  I copied it off a walking tour website.  Best idea.  The kids were happy to walk and super excited when they could find the animals we were looking for.  And they made sure to take pictures of each animal.  Now I have to remember to do this everywhere we go!!  We made it to the Mercato Nuovo, with the porcellino (wild boar), Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Vecchio, and the Duomo.  After we walked the city the kids really wanted to climb the bell tower.  There was no age restriction on it.  We were afraid they wouldn’t make it up and it cost 6 euros a person.  But they really wanted to go and we kind of felt bad since they could not climb the leaning tower.  So we sugared them up with gelato (twix flavor no less!  YUMMMY) and the dads took them up.  I stayed down with Janelle and Jacob (10 months old).  And of course, the dads had the kids be young again so they got in free.  They figured 6 euros isn’t too bad if they don’t make it.  Well the kids were determined and they made it up Giotto’s tower, all 414 steps!  They did it really fast.  Janelle thought we would have time to shop but we made it to the market and we got the call they were just about at the top.   It certainly capped the weekend for them.  We took the train back to our hotel after a really fun day.

We had thought about going back to Florence on Monday, but we didn’t think the children would be up for another museum.  So we read our Rick Steves book and decided to stop in Orvieto on the way home. It was a great decision.  It was the half-way point on drive back.  It was nice to get out and stretch our legs, plus it is a beautiful city.  It is perched on a hill with spectacular views of the vineyards below.  You park and walk up through these narrow roads.  It was what you picture Italy to be like.  We had a nice walk through the city.  We got a couple pieces of pottery and had a wonderful lunch.  Tuscan bread has no salt in it so it isn’t very good to eat.  We found a great Panini place that had focaccia with Tuscan salami.  It was so yummy.  Everyone enjoyed their meal and Howard even had a glass of the local Orvieto classico wine.  It was so good we bought a bottle to bring home.  It was the perfect ending to a great weekend!