Pisa

A few days ago we had an adventure with my cousins and took a day trip to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa (Il Torre Pendente.) While in the car, we passed by gorgeous green mountains and noticed huge chunks missing from their slopes. My cousin, Rocco, informed us that those were the centuries-old marble quarries of Genova. The gigantic bites in the mountains gave way to sparkling pink and white marble. Rocco told us that Michelangelo would go to those very quarries to pick out chunks of marble for his sculptures.

The leaning tower of Pisa, which was completed in the 1300's, was of course totally beautiful. It was much smaller than I expected, and it's tilted disposition actually made it look kind of silly to me.

We explored Pisa a bit, enjoying the incredibly sunny day and picturesque blue skies. It's a cute town, with its ancient city walls still intact and buildings from the 12th century up to contemporary times. Home to a major university, it's got loads of students, cute shops, youthfully idealistic graffiti, etc. I even stumbled upon a glorious Keith Haring mural from 1989! Its the perfect spot for a quick day trip for sure.