ITALY!!: Pisa: The leaning tower...

Our cruise continues and today is the last tour-day in Pisa, Italy. We docked in Florence, Italy and boarded our last bus. This time our guide is a quirky, funky woman with hair that reminds me of Cruella de Vil and she was hilarious; her dry sense of humor kept us on her words.

This drive through the Tuscan region was another breathtaking route. In the distance marble quarries lined the gorgeous mountainside -- the same marble used by Michaleangelo and Bernini.

The bus took us through, what used to be, a private Tuscan estate that was later given to Pisa as a sanctuary. From there we unloaded the bus and took a short beautiful walk to a boat that is to take us on the Arno river to Pisa.

The boat was a small river cruise boat and the Captain and his shipmates were fantastic. They provided ice cream sandwiches, water, Italian opera music and let the kiddos drive to boat all while our guide described the history of Pisa.

The cruise on the Arno was cool. There were small homes/structures that lined the banks with large fishing nets submerged and hanging over the muddy river. The river banks turned into brick walls and gracefully arched bridges. Magnificent Italian-tiered-houses faced the river.

Our lovely boat cruise came to an end. We exited the boat, saying goodbye to our Captain and walked up a steep cobble walkway to a small gas-powered train on wheels. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen. A little train engine cab and tiny train cars connected behind. The train slowly pulled us through Pisa until the leaning tower came into view. We, and the others, on the train all gasped at the tower's sight.

The train parked and we walked to the tower. It is huge and dreamlike -- opulent white marble and seems to lean way more in real life. Our guide told us how they kept building more levels even after it started leaning. It was, another, moment of a lifetime.

After seeing the tower and watching people take all sorts of creative and funny pictures in all sorts of odd positions we walked through Pisa and enjoyed sandwiches, wine and champagne. Once again we boarded our little train and headed back to the bus.

Our Pisa experience was marvelous from the boat, to the train to the sights!! A quiet and satisfactory bus ride back commenced and back to the cruise ship we went. 

Our cruise is ending and tomorrow we disembark for good and are scheduled to fly to Paris! I am so, so, so excited to go to Paris, something I have wanted to do for as long as I can remember.

As always, to be continued...