Day 12 and 13 Pisa and Florence

Day 12 en route to Florence via Pisa

yes we are all original!!!

We had a 9am train to catch to make it to Pisa for 11am. This is something I pushed for, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I always remembered looking at it and taking an interest as a boy. The train we borded included the old type carriages with the seperate rooms. On getting to Car 6 and seats 115 and 116, the compartment had been filled with a sleeping family. The gentleman asked where we were going or rather pulled on me and spoke Italian. A train guard was called and we were vindicated that these were our seats. Even though I felt a pang of guilt that we had to make room for a family which looked to be poor and sleeping children had to be moved. Had it been me alone I may have just relinquished and say in the hallway. In any case enough room was found.

Anyway they only had to put up with us for 2 hours as we got off and Pisa. With little trouble we walked the more or less straight line from station to Leaning Tower. When we arrived, guess what; it leaned. What did I expect really.  Almost as interesting as the tower is seeing the hundreds of people posing in a way to look as if they are holding up the tower. Some do it in a half hearted way. Japanese do it in a scientific way, measuring and returning. Others did it so one was pushing over and the other pushing the tower up, and some even pulled a facial expression to match. Mine was half hearted and in two minds as I hate cliche. In any case when I climbed on a fence post to do it I fell and scraped my shin. Not a huge injury with my pride the most battered. After that some spaghetti and beer and on to Florence.
We arrived in Florence at about 3pm and made our way about 1km to the Hostel and settled down our stuff to go exploring. We grabbed a map and walked the piazzas and streets before Sarah's cold took over and we returned. I was still a bit hungry so popped out for a sandwich and ate it on the nearest piazza  street watched for an hour I think.

Day 13 Florence

Piazza Del Signorio

I woke at 8am and for some reason I realised that I hadn't read the news since leaving Britain, and maybe out of sense of duty, as I feel it necessary to be abreast of current affairs in case an interesting conversation  arises with someone, I logged on to BBC News. The first case that jumped out at me was Anders Brievnik the Norwegian terrorist has gone to trial. The man is a terrible person and his inability to show remorse for killing 77 persons, many children, means I hope he gets what he fears, indefinate confinement in a mental institution. However, what jumped out at me is the admiration of all the Norwegians interviewed. Especially those who were survivors or relatives of the deceased. They don't want vengeance, then want justice and the two are not the same. One said and I'm going to quote as best I can without logging on. "He attacked democracy and rule of law, if the rule of law isn't applied then he has won". The people don't want more than the 24 years if thats all the law hands out. This is Norway's 9/11 or 7/7. How this is different from millions cheering when an old man was shot without trial infront of his family as justice. That is my political point of the the day, now onto Florence.

Sarah's cold had really kicked in, but she joined me for coffee and left me alone to explore although I had to arrange the train from Florence to Venice on the 17th, which I did first with no problems or drama. Then I walked through the central Market towards to Duomo. Now as many writers have described Florence, I feel as if anything I say will be flippant or plain crap. So I'll go ahead in that vain and just be me. Florence is the city of Bath on steroids. Everywhere you turn a colourful buliding, an amazing statue. Anyone who knows me, knows I love my history from roughtly 1750 onwards with many many exceptions. The renaissance never really grabbed me. Lets quantify it in my mind. When England was trying to stop Spaniards from invading and Netherlands and Portugal were racing to increase trade roots and con indiginous people into slavery or consumerism, Italy was drawing and carving shit right? That flippant analysis (and no doubt a quick visit to Wikipedia meant my history missed by a century or two) does nothing to take away the fact that I looked up at the city mostly with my jaw dropped. The city was bigger than the tourists snapping away. I happened upon another museum which was about the history of Italy's democracy. The gap in democracy when Mussolini took a pen and scribbled on what there was of a constitution under the kingdom of Italy and changed voting rules to his benefit. The move from Kingdom to republic, and a new constitution. Like Spain and France in a sense, a country that has had to tweak its constitution to arrive at a fair and secure system which provides a decision making machine without dictatorship, and motored by democracy. Something the USA got right it the first go, making them unique (bar a civil war and few amendments).

Florence was very enjoyable and maybe a silent member of my bucket list. That night we found a nice little restaurant and had an enjoyable 1 course meal. Then gelato while watching the most talented street guitarist I've seen and have videoed. If I find a way I will upload it to here, or twitter.

Its now 7:50am on 17th April. I'm downstairs in the Hostel common room typing this while Sarah sleeps. Her coughing last night means she still isn't fit. She spent most of yesterday in her room, so I think she wants to see more of Florence today to compensate. Me I'm happy to move on to Venice. After that, I must say Italy I've experienced you, thanks for everything, but I'm looking forward to Germany and the more rustic travel of Eastern Europe and Turkey.