I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by Pisa. For some reason I thought it would be a bit shabby and rundown but at least where I was it was very nice. I got my room at Due Borghi Bed and Breakfast over the internet and I couldn’t have been more fortunate with the location. It was right in the heart of the old city and less than a ten minute walk from the Leaning Tower. Restaurants and shops lined all the surrounding streets, which were bustling with people day and night. If it is more crowded than that in the hot, hot summer, I don’t think I would enjoy it then!
The traffic is very typically what you think of as manaical Italian – I really am shocked there are not bodies lying in the streets everywhere. But cyclists and walkers don’t bat an eyelash when a car nearly mows them down every minute or two. Life just carries on.
I particularly enjoyed seeing older folks sitting on benches chatting and people-watching like this group of men. Isn’t that what people used to do for entertainment when they lived in real neighborhoods that were alive and lively?
I love this!
Sep 18, 2012 @ 13:50:56
So nice to see people sitting around and interacting with each other!
Sep 19, 2012 @ 06:22:33
You have obviously not been to McDonalds on Breiel @ 7:00 a.m. – the old guys still meet and greet daily while the blue haired ladies observe from a nearby table. Not quite the same charm as an Italian village! 🙂
Sep 19, 2012 @ 08:21:04
Thanks, Billy D. I’ll add that one to my bucket list. Who needs Pisa when I still haven’t explored all the wonders of Middletown?