In July Michael was scheduled to make a little trip down to the Tuscany region as the Army base in Vicenza provides IT support to a small Army base in Livorno, only 5 miles away from Pisa (as in the leaning tower of). It’s about a 3 ½ hour drive from Vicenza to Camp Darby near Pisa in the Tuscany region.
Mike would have to stay in a hotel near the base for a couple nights. I thought it would be a good idea if he had some company on this trip so I suggested we make a long weekend of it. While he was working on Thursday and Friday, I would play tourist and then on the weekend we could explore together. Off we went. The trip only took three hours since Michael drives like a crazy Italian. Mama mia!
While Michael was slaving away at the clinic, I booked a tour to visit the beautiful island of Elba (Isola d’Elba) located about 12 miles off the coast. After a 45 minute ferry ride we reached this small and charming island.
The island is crowded in the summer months with lots of tourists as they swim in the beautiful beaches to escape the intense Italian heat. It was very hot! The ocean reminded me of Hawaii with its clear and multi hued blue colors.
The island is also famous for being the home for the exiled French emperor Napoleon I. Arriving in 1813 he stayed less than a year but was able to implement some reforms to improve the quality of life on the island. After an island tour that included Naopleon’s summer home followed by a long Italian lunch we boarded the ferry back to mainland Italy.
THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA
Friday night after Michael was done with work, I picked him up from the base and we drove to one of the most famous cities in Italy; Pisa.
We went directly to the Campo dei Miracoli (the Field of Miracles) in the center of the town where the tower is part of four great religious edifices in a square that has paved walkways and large grassy areas. The Leaning Tower, the bell tower, is surrounded by a large cathedral, a Bapistry(another place for worship) and the Campostano (building that houses tombs).
The tower is 183 feet tall with eight floors. It took over 177 years to complete the construction as there were several delays due to many wars. The tower leans because it was built on unsuitable ground for such a heavy and tall building. It is only about 6 feet above sea level and built on a riverbed. The underlying ground is made up of layers of sand and clay. The layers are not even and the weight of the building has compressed them. Because the layers are not even, as the ground has compressed, it has sunk more in some places than others.
Over the years there have been several attempts to correct the problem as the tower’s leaning continued to slowly increase. A British engineer finally came up with a solution to the problem. At the beginning of June 2001, the work was complete, and the tower had been straightened up by about 16 inches, which returns it to the position it held in 1838. The engineers believe that it is safe for at least another 300 years.
So, if they know how, why didn't they just straighten it up all the way? The answer lies in the tower's name. It is the Leaning Tower of Pisa and just wouldn't be the same if it didn't lean! Some of the residents of
It was a real kick to see this famous landmark in person. I would recommend a quick stop to see the tower if you are in the area and don’t forget to take your cheesy photo displaying your heroic efforts to keep it from toppling over.
SIENA
Saturday we navigated through the Tuscan countryside that is decorated with clay hills, isolated farms and villas, Romanesque churches, yellow fields of sunflowers and winding roads flanked with the famous tall Cyprus trees to arrive at our destination, Siena.
Located 45 minutes south of Florence in the center of the Tuscan Region, this medieval city offers the history, art and culture of the more popular city of Florence but without the oppressive congestion of tourists and impossible traffic.
You must wear very comfortable shoes since all the narrow roads lead steeply up hill and you will eventually find yourself at the main central square, Pallazzo Pubblico.
The Piazzo Pubblico with the magnificent Torre del Mangia. This building with Gothic architecture was once a chapel and housed the ancient ruling Sienese leaders is now a museum as well as the municipal headquarters for the people of Siena.
We only sampled some of the city’s many offerings that included some delicious gelato as we knew we would return.
VOLTERRA
Now a little something special for Twilight Fans.
One of the highlights of our weekend adventures in Tuscany was our visit to Volterra. We had both read the highly popluar Twilight series and saw the first movie, Twilight. We were in the area so we definitely had to stop.
If you're a Twilight Saga fan, you know that the New Moon movie premiered November 20th. In the New Moon story, the Volturi vampire clan make their home in Volterra, Italy, and Bella and Edward end up there near the end of the book.
Long overshadowed by its more touristy Tuscan neighbor, San Gimignano, Volterra is capitalizing on the interest. The tourism office has created a themed map of the city, encouraged fan meet-ups, and this spring introduced a New Moon weekend package that includes a walking tour called "Hot on the Trail of Edward and Bella," Twilight merchandise and even a dramatic re-enactment of one of the book's scenes.
Now the real Twilight groupies will know that New Moon did not film the scenes in Volterra but instead chose another Italian town nearby called, Montepulciano. Neither has the fountain in the town square that Bella runs through in the book but with movie magic they just created one.
We got our Twilight – New Moon re-enactment map from the tourist office and retraced their steps from the book. It was uncanny that we were there at noon – the exact time when Bella runs to Edward through the square. With video camera in hand we filmed our tour and later produced our own video. So click on the following clip and enjoy “Bella and Edward” in Volterra.
Ciao!
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