A short flight from Dublin and I was in Pisa, Italy. I would recommend to everyone to stay in Pisa Tower hostel - it's the best hostel I've stayed in yet!
Every country gives you that first wow! impression, which is usually marred by some sort of secondary impression. For example, in England, you think Wow!... it's really cold here.In Ireland you think Wow!... it rains a lot here. And in Scotland, you think Wow!... it's really cold and rains a lot here. In Italy, though you think Wow!... this is perfect. It's definitely got to be one of my favourite countries so far, with an agreeable climate, awesome food, amazing history and a vibrant culture. I am still deciding whether it is possible to live off of pizza and Gelato for every meal (for example yesterday's cuisine consisted of - Breakfast: Gelato, Lunch: pizza, and Dinner: Gelato). I thought that gelato was healthy because it isn't dairy-based, but someone at the hostel told me it has more sugar than your girlfriend's kisses. So maybe it isn't so healthy...
All dietician's advice aside, Pisa is a beautiful city. The park containing the leaning tower of Pisa has a bunch of tourists performing tai chi poses to get the perfect 'holding up the tower shot', and I couldn't resist trying the chance to look even more Brobdingnagian than I already am. Borgo Stretto, the main street starting from the centre of town at the Ponte di Mezzi, has some amazing Gelatissimos, and at dusk, the magic begins as candles come out on the streetside for every restaurant. If you peek down small alleys off Borgo Stretto, you can find hidden squares, where locals and tourists mingle for drinks and multi-course meals. The further down winding alleyway you go, the more chance you have of finding a magical venue for your evening meal. Pisa is such an amazing place that I don't want to leave tomorrow, when I head to Florence.
Today I spent my time at a small village, just a train's ride away from Pisa, called Lucca. The medieval city is walled all the way around, and when I visited it had an exhibition in the tunnels running around the city under the city walls. Paved streets and bustling piazzas recommend this city to the eyes and cement its place in your memory, especially the famous Piazza del Ampitheatro. The sheer volume of history bearing down on you from this walled city means one cannot fail to have a good time in Lucca, whether it's walking on the battlements of the city's walls, or traversing the narrow alleys, which usually lead you no place except utterly lost.
Every country gives you that first wow! impression, which is usually marred by some sort of secondary impression. For example, in England, you think Wow!... it's really cold here.In Ireland you think Wow!... it rains a lot here. And in Scotland, you think Wow!... it's really cold and rains a lot here. In Italy, though you think Wow!... this is perfect. It's definitely got to be one of my favourite countries so far, with an agreeable climate, awesome food, amazing history and a vibrant culture. I am still deciding whether it is possible to live off of pizza and Gelato for every meal (for example yesterday's cuisine consisted of - Breakfast: Gelato, Lunch: pizza, and Dinner: Gelato). I thought that gelato was healthy because it isn't dairy-based, but someone at the hostel told me it has more sugar than your girlfriend's kisses. So maybe it isn't so healthy...
All dietician's advice aside, Pisa is a beautiful city. The park containing the leaning tower of Pisa has a bunch of tourists performing tai chi poses to get the perfect 'holding up the tower shot', and I couldn't resist trying the chance to look even more Brobdingnagian than I already am. Borgo Stretto, the main street starting from the centre of town at the Ponte di Mezzi, has some amazing Gelatissimos, and at dusk, the magic begins as candles come out on the streetside for every restaurant. If you peek down small alleys off Borgo Stretto, you can find hidden squares, where locals and tourists mingle for drinks and multi-course meals. The further down winding alleyway you go, the more chance you have of finding a magical venue for your evening meal. Pisa is such an amazing place that I don't want to leave tomorrow, when I head to Florence.
Today I spent my time at a small village, just a train's ride away from Pisa, called Lucca. The medieval city is walled all the way around, and when I visited it had an exhibition in the tunnels running around the city under the city walls. Paved streets and bustling piazzas recommend this city to the eyes and cement its place in your memory, especially the famous Piazza del Ampitheatro. The sheer volume of history bearing down on you from this walled city means one cannot fail to have a good time in Lucca, whether it's walking on the battlements of the city's walls, or traversing the narrow alleys, which usually lead you no place except utterly lost.
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