Pisa

Piazza dei Miracoli

The altar of the Duomo

The Duomo and the Baptistry from the top of the Leaning Tower

Wow, that was heavy

The base of the Leaning Tower of Pisa (apparently in Saran Wrap)

From Venice, I took a train to Florence and then a commuter train to Pisa.  The main tourist sights in Pisa are on the Piazza dei Miracoli or "Plaza of Miracles" and can be seen in just a few hours.  A limited amount of people are allowed on the Leaning Tower of Pisa at a time, so I got a ticket for a specific tour.  In the meantime, I toured the Duomo (the cathedral) and joined the hordes of tourists doing the requisite mime picture holding up the tower.  The lean is noticeable going up the narrow stairs up to the top.  The slope is very obvious on the top, which offers good views of Tuscany.  I really wanted to test gravity and throw something off the side, just like Galileo, the famous Pisan, who threw stuff off the tower in the name of science (back before there were security people preventing it).  

That night, I had a piece of pizza in Pisa.  I prefer Pizza Hut; the pizza had a cracker-like crust, tomato sauce, some leafy vegetable (looked like dandelion leaves) and small, uncooked slices of parmesan cheese on top (yes, slices).  I hoped the pizza would be better in Rome...

View from the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa