Day 13 - Siena, Pisa, Florence, Siena (phew)

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Star log, Captain Kirk.... it was another early 'stupid o'clock' start - strapped my toes together and caught cabs into the stationale for a regionale treno to Empoli and onto a regionale veloce (fast) train to Pisa Centrale. After caffe and pastries (cost enough to feel like we had purchased the entire town!!) we began our walking tour to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The town was quite different than Siena (my favourite so far) as it was very flat. The river which runs through the area was swollen, muddy and full of debris after yesterday's storm. We headed through the streets with all the other thousands of tourists to view the Tower, the main attraction but not the only thing worth seeing in Pisa. Oh for more time (but we say that in almost every place we have visited). The Tower was smaller than I expected but so worth the visit. Of course, Roy had to have the mandatory picture propping up the structure. The Cathedral behind (or in front, depending on where you were standing 😊) was stunning but it was time to return to the stationale for our train-trip into Florence (the only time we had to see this amazing city). Upon arrival, we left the station and headed for a look at the huge leather and food markets and then rounded the corner and caught sight of the Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore. The site of this cathedral as we rounded the corner and saw it just blew my mind though because of time restraints, we only viewed it from the outside and didn't walk the tower. We split as a group and Roy and I headed to the Uffizi but the line was very long and we knew it would be ages before we got in and then wouldn't have any time for viewing so reluctantly I stepped away from that experience and I'm sure that I will live to regret that I didn't do this. But we had little time left in Firenze, so Roy and I boarded one of the three Hop On Hop Off buses and took in as much as we could. We then walked a few streets, met up with the rest of our gang and, after purchasing vino and nibbles, headed up to the Piazzale Michelangelo to watch the sunset, with Rebecca's lovely bubbly friend Viviana. Onto the 8.10pm train back to Siena, sad that we didn't have time to see the 'must do's' but so lucky to have had the opportunity to see any of it.

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