When Jim woke up, we ate a couple of pastries, slammed some coffee at the hotel restaurant, checked out, stashed our backpack behind a chair, and headed to the Duomo. We got there around 9:30 and this was the scene. Can you find Jim?
We stood in line for about 45 minutes. There were signs all over the place saying that no shorts were allowed, and I was wearing shorts so I was sure that when we got up to the ticket counter, they would turn us away...but they didn't! We were in!
Getting to the top of the Duomo involved walking up about 500 steps, in a narrow passageway without windows and making frequent stops while "traffic" got backed up. At one point, I got pretty nervous about being stopped on the stairwell with no way to get out, but then I got over it. We were behind a group of young Italians who were laughing and goofing off and that made me happy. Some people were very pious and quiet while in the Duomo. Some people shushed other people (there was lots of shushing going on at Sant'Antimo, too. The Italians are serious about their churches!)
Going up:
We finally made it to the first tier of the dome, where we could see straight down into the nave and up to the gruesome scene on the ceiling. On the ceiling is a painting of heaven and hell and all that comes between. Hell was most interesting to us, as it featured various devils eating and killing people, women with six teets, people writhing in pain and agony, a six headed monster....we never got to the Jesus and God part because we were so busy looking at the torture scenes.
From the top of the dome, we could see across the city and could look down on people in a tower next to us.
Then we had to line up to get down again, which took almost as long as getting up. It was worth it, though. I love the Duomo!
After the Duomo we went to the Duomo museum, which featured statues that had been removed from the outside of the Duomo, restored,and displayed. Jim was very excited about the models of the dome and used a model to show methat the "statue of that guy with the pointy hat used to be right there." Even though he went to Catholic school almost as long as I did, Jim obviously never got a good look at the pope. We marveled over the relics of saints-things like fingers in ornate boxes-and saw a famous Leonardo Da Vinci sculpture.
After so much religion and seriousness, we needed a break. We walked through the leather market, where lots of people selling fake designer purses were lined up along with the licensed merchants. In London, the people who sell illegal things are a little more discrete. In Italy, the guys set their goods up on tables made out of carboard boxes or on sheets and when the police come around, they fold everything up nice and neat. I think the key is not to get caught selling the goods. You can hang around on the corner with a sheet full of fake purses slung over your shoulder, though, and no one bats an eye.
After the leather market, we went to the indoor food market, which was full of meat and cheese and veggies! Jim posed next to his favorite new food: Lard.
There were also some delicious pigs' feet!
We enjoyed one last cappucino before leaving Florence:
And then a piece of coconut that we bought on the street:
And we were off again, heading back towards the PIsa airport!
On our way to Pisa, we decided to stop off in Lucca, which is about thirty minutes north of Pisa. What a wonderful town! Napoleon lived there, too, and his wife Marie somethingorother played a huge part in making it the beautiful place that it is now, with lots of trees and gardens and a peaceful stream running around it. On top of the city wall, there is a paved path, where people were walking and biking...and that's when we saw the double bike and it called our names.
Into the Lucca wall:
Jim on the paved path:
Some Lucca Buildings and scenery:
THE BIKE!
Every couple should ride a double bike. We think we're going to buy one because we both had permagrin the whole time we were riding that thing.It was kind of hard to balance and Jim kept trying to get all dare devilish...and it rained,so we were FORCED to stop in a frozen yogurt shop and eat some yogurt until it stopped raining (sort of). We want our very own double bike, so that when we get annoyed with each other or in a bad mood, we can just hop on it and ride through London like big goofballs!
Sadly, we DID have to go back to Pisa, return our Fiat, and queue for the Ryan Air flight back home. There was lots of groaning and moaning amongst the passengers on our flight (no one wanted to go back home) and when we all got back to Stanstead airport, the lines for customs were incredible. We got home at 2am, slept for a few hours...and it was back to reality.
We miss Italy! (but we still love London)
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