Pretty Pisa

candid! let's try that again...

much better.

Hello, again. We're back from our road trip, caught up on laundry, and have sorted through our photos (so many!) just in time for me to start school next week. Did you know if you say "I'm going to school" in Malta everyone thinks you mean public (i.e. grade) school? I can't get used to saying 'university' so I embarrass myself with this one all the time.

We started our road trip in Pisa and will be posting about our travels in chronological order. Pisa was such a delightful surprise. We hadn't expected much from the city (word on the street is that, besides the Leaning Tower, it's a bit run down and boring), but gosh it is so relaxed, pretty, and much more low-key than other tourist-y Italian towns. I also loved the unexpected Keith Haring mural. I think it's great to see contemporary art in a city renowned for it's historical art; it gives the place a much more lived-in vibe.

While in Pisa we scrambled to find a shop that sold camera cards (we would forget ours) and made silly poses in front of the Leaning Tower (photos to follow!) Then we wandered around both sides of the Arno river at sunset. While it's probably an unpopular opinion, we're convinced the Arno is much prettier running through Pisa than in Florence. What do you think?

- Jess

BY THE NUMBERS

date: august 31st

distance travelled: 10 km/6 mi (airport to city center)

weather: sunny, warm

slept at: Casa San Tommaso

parked at: the hotel, €7 inclusive of ZTL (restricted traffic zone) charge