Pisa, Italy

One of my favourite places in the world! I met an awesome person at whose home I was hosted and had a totally awesome time. I am so so thankful that I was able to have this awesome experience. Yay!

Now,  I was in a bit of a transitional phase, mentally speaking, for the past few days. I had to go back to India to renew my Visa and it was pretty tiring. Then, there were some real adult emotions and changes to deal with. It has been difficult to get myself to write. 

Mind you, that is not because of the lack of time or any such thing. It is simply that my mind tends to run wild and I find it difficult to discipline and provide it with a consistent rhythm. When our circumstances do not seem to remain tidy and uniform, the mind tends to wander. Anyway, that was my rant. Call it whatever else you want. This blog is for my personal memory anyway. It is for arranging aspects of experience and making my own stories. I truly appreciate all of you who take the time to go through my journeys visually and mentally. So let's dive in!

There was a lot to see and do in Pisa. Besides, every trip I take to Italy feels like homecoming. There is something about that place. It is a warmth with the people and the delicious food. My trip to Pisa started with me landing there by plane. The airport, contrary to most famous airports is not located far way from the city on some deserted land but is directly in the city. This makes is super easy to walk directly to the famous monuments without much trouble. 

Pisa also happened to be one of my best Couchsurfing experiences. I was hosted by an amazing person who inspite of being really busy that day and having work to do, made it a point to show me around and also treated me to his local food, something different and other than pasta and pizza, 2 items that I had already eaten extensively in Italy.

It was made of chickpeas and it was vegan friendly. It was also very filling. I do not however, remember what it was called. Say hi to my host!

So let me take you across this marvellous journey that I am so very grateful to have experienced. 

Tuttomondo

We started with this cute wall mural where he asked me to find if I saw something that stood out. Something strange or out of the blue. I could not see it. Can you?

It is created by an American graffiti artist and was so colourful and full of life. The message is of harmony and maintaining a symbiotic relationship with the rest of the world. How very wonderful that it. 

It is called "tuttomondo" aka all the world.

The lanes

The appeal of Pisa lies not just in its status in the 7 wonders of the world but in its rich history, culture and the beautiful lanes! I was in love with these. They are straight out of a romance novel where the protagonist falls in love with his forever something. Hehe. 

Just walking here and taking in the life, breathing it in, the air, everything, is a true delight!

You know, other than the monuments which are something that everyone comes to see and of which the experience is pretty much flat out similar for everyone, the true magic of travel lies within these small tit-bits that we do not accord all that much importance to!

Cathedral Square: The Leaning tower of Pisa and Pisa Cathedral

Okay, call me silly but I honestly did not know that the tower was an attachment to the main cathedral. In the photos that  had seen, I was under the impression that the tower existed by itself but there are so many more side attractions of which the interiors and exteriors are equally awe-inspiring. It is a world heritage site.

Besides, my host told me that many bricks of these ancient landmarks and stolen from other places giving it an uneven brick appearance, colour-wise!

Also, I did not know that along with the tower, the Cathedral leans too! I found it surprising that such a notable lean was not mentioned. The tower slowly started to lean because of the marshy soil underneath. Fun fact: Pisa means marshy in Italian!

Inside the church

I saw so many beautiful structures inside the church like for example this coffered decoration circle which starts with big icons of people which become smaller and smaller as the circle progresses. This is very interesting!

On the door of the Cathedral there is a lizard that us discoloured as compared to the rest of the copper paint. The reason? My host told me it was students who came before exams and rubbed the lizard for good luck. It was a superstition that holds to this day! Can you spot the lizard?

Additionally, there are so many beautiful pantings inside this Cathedral. With a free entry, the best bargain ever!

The Canals

Yes, Pisa has canals! Nobody really talks about them but there are some of the most wonderful ever. They have houses on either side and the water is super clear. In festival periods, the whole town lights up across the canals!

Santa Marial della Spina Church

One of the tiniest and most adorable little churches ever! On the banks of the beautiful river, it is a total delight to see! In front of it, it has a statue of a naked man in black stone with some of his assets on display. Europe, right?

San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno Church

Lesser known but equally wonderful. I saw this on my way back to my hosts house and the resemblance is crazy to the Pisa Cathedral square buildings. 

Gnocchi!

My host made me some authentic Italian Gnocchi at the end of our day of exploration and that was that. I am attaching the recipe here for your reference!

 

That concludes my much awaited Pisa blog! See you on the next one :D

Aditi's recommendations

• Surely try something other than pizza and pasta! 
• Ask for things in Italian, the locals will love your efforts!
• Walk from the airport to the city, its really a very short walk. 
• Make friends! Italians are the kindest and the warmest people you will ever come across!