Pisa and back to Florence

The first time I saw the leaning Tower of Pisa was through a ViewMaster as a kid. Remember those, with the circle of little slide pictures that we would move ahead by pressing down on the side button. I'm here to tell you that it really is as impressive as it was in those slides. But of course, we are so used to seeing he classic pictures of the lean that EVERYONE has to try and put some kind of creative spin on their own picture. Here we have a cypress tree and the tower holding each other up, like a pair of drunken buddies after a night on the town.
It is lovely, but much like Niagara Falls, overrun by tourists and all that they require, including a McDonalds franchise directly across the way within the old city walls. One wonders if THAT was really necessary.

Returning to Florence, we went to the Uffizi Gallery, home to Michelangelo's magnificent Holy Family, Tondo. Unfortunately what you don't see through this link is the stunning frame around the circular painting, which is said to have been designed by the painter himself. It's worth doing some research to see if you can find an image of the complete work of art.
This fountain, with the little bearded angel in the centre, provides a nice bath for one of the many pigeons on the terrace where we paid 5 euros (about $7) for a cup of tea. It's a good thing that it came in a nice pot.

Across from our hotel in Florence was a wonderful Italian restaurant called Tito that was ALWAYS busy. When we left after our dinner, there were patrons waiting outside for their seats to be ready. Some had ordered wine and were drinking it right there on the street while they waited in the "queue", and the staff brought out appetizers to keep them happy. Not a common occurrence in Canada.

These musicians, pictured above, were amazing. They made their way, along with a guitar player, through the restaurants on the street, playing an array of tunes from "Roll Out The Barrel" to "O Sol O Mio" for tips.

I remember on July 20th, 1969, my mother said that she felt like the film and pictures from the moon were actually shot in some studio somewhere with a bad camera. Well that is not the case here. This is moi, taken from the Michelangelo Lookout above Florence where you will get the best view of the city. Our guide, Alessandra, was kind enough to take everyone's picture in turn with our own camera.