We said good bye to Kelly and Andy and got a reasonably early start. To save time, we drove the autostrade as much as possible, a route which took us right by Florence. The trip was easy and well-marked and we soon found ourselves at the outskirts of Pisa. After two weeks of driving and touring in Europe, we made two assumptions: that the tower would be in the center of town and that the route would be marked. Not exactly.

Pisa is bisected by the Arno River, running east to west, and the "center" of town is the river. The major streets are all one-way. There were a few signs to the "Torre Pendente" but they were sporadic. So, we entered the southwest corner of the city, traveled east, then north, then west along the south bank of the Arno, then across the Arno and north again. Turns out that the tower is in the northwest corner of the old walled city. Had we been armed with a map, we would have saved about 30 mintues driving (but seen less of the city)! The good news, once we found it, parking was easy (an enterprising neighbor has turned his garage into a parking facility) and it was a short walk to the Torre and Duomo.

The tower was designed as the bell tower for the cathedral. Much like Florence, but more spacious, the cathedral area has a large baptistry, the cathedral itself, and the tower. Adjacent to this is a cemetary, integrated with the wall of the city. These were all constructed in the 11th-14th centuries. As you can see in our pictures, these are all surrounded by some very lush grass. I think this is the only place in a European city where we saw so much grass – usually such buildings are surrounded by cobblestones or some other type of pavement.

After the usual photo opportunities, we had lunch at a cafe across the street from the tower. On the way back to the car, we bought the kind of tacky souvenir that everyone needs. Then we departed Pisa in search of the coast.

It is a very short drive northwest from Pisa to the major port city of La Spezia. This is a large NATO naval base that occupies a beautiful harbor. Nearby are the Cinqueterre, a series of five villages perched on the coast of the Gulf of Genoa. Our time didn't permit a trip to the Cinqueterre, but we did drive along the shore to Portovenere, a small resort town on one side of the harbor entrance. We saw some beautiful sights on the beach and in the harbor, including a boat that looked much like Serendipity! As usual on a hot day, we found a restaurant with shade and appropriate beverage.

Once relaxed, we set off again on the autostrade. We drove through Genoa but didn't stop to visit any of Christopher Columbus's relatives. Just beyond Genoa, we turned north, leaving sea level and starting our climb toward Switzerland. We found a very nice hotel in Alessandria, a short walk from a nice restaurant and the city center. Dinner, a stroll, and we retired for the evening expecting more adventures tomorrow. (We wouldn't be disappointed.)