Pisa, Siena, and Firenze.

On the way back from Cinque Terre, we stopped in Pisa to see the famous leaning tower. The truth is, it looks like it is leaning alot more in person than it does in pictures.

The street on the way to the tower was lined with market vendors and tons of tourists making the silly pose to create the optical illusion that they are holding up the tower with their hands, feet, back, whatever. There was a marathon going on while we were there and I saw a man running barefooted.
We were back in Ariccia last Sunday, and left on Tuesday for Siena and Firenze. Siena, definitely a hidden treasure, was one of my favorite small towns I've seen. Our hotel was the nicest we've stayed in and our window opened to the street below where a string quartet was set up playing music for people's pocket change.

We spent the day there shopping and had an amazing wine tasting at a wonderful restaurant and went down to their cellar (picture above) where they have every bottle of Italian wine made in Italy. (Hus you would have been in HEAVEN!).


We ate in the piazza del Campo, where the famous horse race takes place in the summer. The entire piazza is lined with restaurants and outdoor seating. Besides the light from the moon and the clock tower, there isn't really a need for electric lights, which made it feel so like a dream! We left early the next morning for Prato and visited the textile factory there. Afterwards, we had a private lunch by a famous chef Chef Francesco Ciarapica in an outdoor dining room.

We had the Tuscan five course mean with different wine with each serving. Dad, you should be proud to know that I ate rabbit! (It is really hare, and the italian word for it is lepre.) It was divine, and we were all so sleepy on the way to Firenze. I had been looking forward to Firenze since we got to Italy. Our hotel was in an awesome location, and since everything in Firenze is walking distance, we saw everything. We did a walking tour on our ipods to the Duomo, Piazza del Campo, the Republica, the Ponte Vecchio, the Ufizzi, etc., but spent most of our time shopping and eating the wonderful tuscan food.

I loved the leather markets and had the best time bargaining for the wonderful leather. We toured the Salvadore Ferragamo museum on Sunday morning and the Medici costume gallery, then split for the weekend.