First stop - Pisa

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The first stop in our trip through Italy was Pisa.

We landed late in the afternoon, and immediately picked up our bags and started walking to the city center.
Our plan was to stay in Pisa only until around noon of the following day. Looking back I think that was enough, considering that our intention was not so much to get to know in detail each location, but to get a high level overview of Italy.

In about 30 minutes we were able to find our way to the Hostel we had booked (Michele Guest House).
We found that even though it was around 15 minutes away from the main attractions, it was really only 100 meters away from the railway station - very convenient.

The young lady that met us (Michele herself maybe?) was very nice, and the room was OK - clean, spacious and quiet. The shared bathroom was also very clean.
Even though, this was one of the priciest places we stayed in during the hole trip, and it was the cheapest acceptable hostel we found in Pisa.

In that same night we took a tour around the city (towards the main attractions), and topped it of with a nice drink near the river Arno.
This included sitting for a few minutes in front of the notorious Leaning Tower.
Even though I had seen (maybe) hundreds of images of the tower before, in numerous different situations, I was completely crushed by the beauty, size, and angle of the tower.

Really... Big "thumbs up" to all ancient Pisans!!!
Note that it took 177 years to build the tower, from the 12th to the 14th centuries. Nice!
For me it is an absolute MANDATORY sight for those traveling around that area - I strongly recommend it!

During the day the city is even nicer!
The river bank is very colorful and picturesque, and there seemed to be an air of calmness about the city.

After taking the traditional "hold the Leaning Tower" pictures we headed to the railway station, and to the next stop in out journey - Florence.

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Photos

Dusk in Pisa
Just out of the airport, walking towards the city center.