The actual port is called Livorno but the location is Tuscany and not far is Pisa. For those who love rolling hills and gorgeous countryside, this is probably the most beautiful location we visited. As with most of the other locations, where the ship docks is less than glamorous but after 10 minutes in a vehicle away from the port, the beauty of this region of Italy was staring me in the face. There were sunflowers everywhere. And I mean everywhere. Fields and fields of them. Absolutely gorgeous. The picture posted here does not do the true view justice. It seems so simple but it truly is something you have to see in person.
The tour I took started with a scenic drive through the Tuscan countryside, through small little towns and farms as we made our way up hills to San Gimignano. This is a medieval town known for its views of the countryside and its architecture. It is definitely a tourist site and has plenty of shopping and inclines to get a good workout while walking around the town (in fact, if you want to see San Gimignano, you cannot walk in any direction without either walking up or down a hill). Just as impressive as the view the town is the view of the town from afar... it has a little skyline that looks like a major city but is really just this little town built centuries ago.
As many of you know, I am always on the lookout for unique jewelry and I found it in San Gimignano. My new favorite piece in my collection is my handmade and hopefully unique silver/bronze ring I found in this little silver shop. I am certain it is unique here in the US and hopefully even in Italy!
The next visit was to a winery. Which for me is the promised land! We did a wine tasting which is always a pleasure. White wines I can live without but the reds were glorious. Expensive but scrumptous nonetheless. I learned the proper way to drink wine, how to swish it in my mouth, how to circulate air through it and taste what I should be tasting. Honestly, I don't know that I ever truly taste what I should be tasting and the complicated tasting process might just be a little much for me. But it is fun to try to be educated in the art of wine and this visit was definitely worth it!
The final stop for the day was Pisa and most notably the leaning tower. The leaning tower is actually a bell tower for the cathedral that stands next to it. That was news to me but interesting no doubt. The tower's construction began in 1173 and continued to be worked on for about the next 200 hundred years (initial construction phase). The tower started leaning almost immediately due to poor foundation building and natural movement of the earth's material. The direction of the lean has changed over time. The tower is actually shorter than I thought it would be... for some reason I think I expected a tower more like the Eiffel in Paris but the tower in Pisa is only 7 floors. The courtyard with the tower and the cathedral is beautiful and a must see if you're ever in the area.
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