A rainy day in the land of the leaning tower, Pisa

The weather in Tuscany is so unpredictable. It is so common to go out with an umbrella in your hand looking at the cloudy sky, but end up forgetting it at a place enjoying the pleasant Tuscan sun.

The case was not much different when I went out with my friends Tharun and Dinesh, the only difference being we didn’t have an umbrella. We decided to go for a walk in the cloudy weather, with the intention to find a cozy place for breakfast. Piazza dei Cavalieri seemed to be empty, unlike usual days. It was evident that the dark clouds have scared off the tourists. We found ourselves looking for a bar earlier than expected as the skies opened up. Fortunately, Bar Moderno provided us shelter from the sudden but expected rain. It was a small bar which did justice to it’s name (Moderno means modern in Italian). The barista welcomed us with a pleasant smile and did not hesitate to quickly clean the empty tables to make space for us. The place seemed to be a rather touristic place with middle aged couples taking a bite of typical Italian pastries. We accommodated ourselves close to the entrance so as to get the fresh smell of the thirsty pavements gulping rain water. We ordered our breakfast and were a bit skeptical about the prices as the place seemed to be very fancy. Soon it was evident that it is not a bar that attracts only tourists, by the presence of the local university students. Like other Tuscan medieval cities like Siena and Florence, Pisa is also a university city, home to many foreign students. We sipped our cup of coffees watching the rain, waiting for the breakfast that we ordered. The place was rather peaceful without crowd but with floating customers so that it is not congested. Our plan after finishing the breakfast, was to make our way to piazza Miracoli where the tall leaning tower stands. I have to admit that it was a value for money breakfast, no complaints regarding the service. The pastries were fresh and warm, delicious for a price of only € 1.2, that one would not think twice in going to the same place again.

The sun was no more shy again as the dark clouds made way for a clear sky. If it was not for the wet pavements one would never get a clue that it is the same place that was raining 10 minutes back. These extreme variations in the climate can be attributed to the strong winds in the area which is not so uncommon. It was only a 2 minute walk to the square which is the attraction of the city, which makes people even cross continents to visit the city. Yes, the same tower that Galileo conducted his physics experiments dropping objects of different masses to prove his theory. The same square has the main church and museum that reminds us of the medieval magnificence for which the city once stood for. I spent some time reading the description of each of the monuments present in the square. It was really fascinating to know that we were in a place built in the 11th century. The people seemed to be out of their shelter with the beautiful Tuscan sun on their heads, making the square a busy area. The tourists seemed to be busy trying to support the tower from different angles so that it does not fall. Some were even trying to eat it filling it in a cone, resembling a cone ice cream ;). The whole area is covered with beautiful lawn with passages in between leading to each monument. It is prohibited to step on the grass except in the area adjacent to the wall on the other end of the square. This area is apt for picnic where you can have a snack or even a light lunch.

After our adventure during the morning, we were back in Tharun’s house since his house owner Fabrizio was coming over for lunch. It was a simple lunch with bread, rice and some meat. Following our afternoon rest, we proceeded again to the city centre to get some fresh air. The historical area is small and can be covered in less than an hour. If you are a nature lover, don’t miss the view of the Arno river. It is a beautiful view with the bridges arching over the river at different points. We headed to the nearest supermarket to grab something for our dinner. As usual Dinesh did not disappoint with his cooking skills. We ended the day watching close football match between Lazio and AC Milan. A satisfying and well spent day in the land of the leaning tower!