Lea(r)ning
An unexpected, magical visit to Pisa, Italy.
Quick back story - Long before we arrived in Italy, Bekah, a fabulous planner, booked train tickets three months in advance. I tried to caution against doing this because I want to travel freely, and, you know….feel where the wind takes us. My trip to Italy a few years ago also reminded me that the trains are a controlled chaos here. Nevertheless, she booked them. After enjoying Milan, we snagged the train to Genoa. Easy, no fuss. Standing on the platform in Genoa ( the most beautiful train platform I’ve ever been on), we found no train. Sometime after the pre-booked no-show train was supposed to leave, we finally asked someone dressed with a red, white, and green badge. With no English spoken, the only answer we got was a “no…this”, pointing to the next train on the board. Seeing that “this” train was headed south, we figured that would at least get us somewhat close to Cinque Terre. All of this is to say that we learned something about trains in Italy that might be of value to you….
Avoid booking trains months in advance. Why? They may take that train away from you just because they feel like it.
If your train magically disappears, simply find one with a similar route and hop on. They will honor those tickets regardless.
Just download the app(s). Why? It makes life easier. Paper tickets you need to purchase in person and validate. App/online tickets you do not.
Do not sit long distances on the top level of the car. Teenagers, transients, and loud people ride up there to avoid being seen. Shout out to the punk who decided to enjoy a cigarette with all the windows closed. Idiota!
In Cinque Terre, the price was 5 euros each way to each town. We paid this twice before we got tired of it and stopped paying. How? Instead of approaching the person with the red, white, and green badge, avoid the person with the red, white, and green badge.
We have a train that exists for this portion of the trip. It was an easy ride. Cinque Terre → La Spezia → Pisa. We’re getting better at this.
In Pisa, we decided to grab the bus instead of walking for twenty minutes in this heat. Three Euros each. We bought our bus tickets at the window. We also learned something about buses in Italy….
Be early to your bus stop. Drivers like to arrive ten minutes early as if that was on time. If you are nine minutes early, wave as it drives by.
Tickets? Not a single driver stopped to look or check. Not once. Not ever. Take a piece of paper and write “biglietto” on it. I swear it’ll work.
Pisa is an extremely beautiful place. I have to be honest about the fact that I completely disregarded it as such. Going to school in the States we know the two icons that define Italy. The Colosseum and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In grade school, how long did we glare at a map of Italy? A colorful map tattooed with drawings of a leaning white tower slightly above an image of the Colosseum, accompanied by a gondola in the upper right-hand corner, a Vespa somewhere, and a pizza down by the boot (funny, I can't recall a drawing of a bottle of wine anywhere). That was it, all I knew of Italy. So when Pisa happened to be between two of our destinations, we thought, why not? Thirty years later, I’m off to see Mrs. Philpott’s classroom map in person.
I had no idea how gorgeous the Leaning Tower and its adjacent cathedrals would be. Everything is pristine and captivating. The bright white marble edifices of the Pisa Baptistery, Tower, and Cathedral shine in contrast to the bright green grass surrounding the square.
Outside of the Piazza dei Miracoli, the city feels the same. Beautiful, pristine, simple. Local cafes, gelaterias, and markets line the streets, as they do in every Italian town, but this is different. We didn’t encounter a lot of people here. The streets are slower and quieter.
You need to know something. It’s important, so pay attention.
At the time of this writing, our adventures through Italy are complete. Looking back, little did I know that the quiet, sleepy streets of Pisa would produce the greatest meal I have ever had in Italy.
Tagliatelle, olives, carrots, and stewed rabbit.
…it had to be shared.
Regarding tourists.
I have many film and phone images of our walk through the Piazza del Duomo. I was ill-prepared for such a hilarious, laugh-out-loud experience. On the south side of the Cathedral/Tower, hundreds of people straddle the fence to mimic holding the tower up, framing it just right to look as if they are doing their part in preventing it from leaning further. I have no idea why this cracked me up so much It caught me off guard. I had no shame in pointing my camera and phone at these people in very awkward positions. I wish I took more.
Upon leaving Pisa, we got back on the bus to the train station. Once again, three euros were wasted. We’re annoyed that our loss equaled the total amount of two gelatos. Bekah ran up to the counter and showed the clerk our non-validated bus ticket after our bus ride and actually got a refund.
Pisa, you were stunning.