PISA AGAIN

The decision to return to Pisa was really forced on me because of a lack of reasonable alternatives. After spending a lot of time in Florence I knew I had to get away from the big city. The day away in Siena was great and so thats what I intend here in Pisa where the hostel is pretty good and at an affordable  price. 
However, yesterday was fun, with a group of lads who are well old enough to know better, calling them selves 'Cheeky Northern Monkeys'. They are motor scooter fanatics who all collect them from wherever they can. These old scooters certainly hold their value with some the scooters in Florence yesterday worth up to 5000 pounds. Their excuse for this trip is a scooter rally in Siena today. 

The Samsonite stylish luggage suits this Lambretta from 1959 vintage, and the case, even older, is used for storing Christmas decorations when it isn't in use on scooter trips. What beautiful scooter though, I had one when I were a lad.


The weather has warmed up and so last evening I took some night pictures in the centre of Florence. D

SHELLEY WAS HERE

Its been a pretty nice day, the sun decided to make an appearance which toned down the cold wind. Stayed in Pisa and did some exploring as well as repeating some of yesterday's tramp. 
Found something which took me by surprise and that is a plaque on a remaining  wall of a demolished building. 

The plaque is on the wall near the centre of the picture on the left. It seems that Percy wrote his elegy for his friend John Keats, Adonais, here in Pisa in the building that has now crumbled. It was of course nearly 200 years ago in 1821 so I suppose its not too unlikely that the building has gone. Its always much better fun when I stumble on these things, like the George Orwell square in Barcelona, and Lord Byron's cafe in Sintra, near Lisbon.  
Also the Piazza dei Cavelieri had a certain old charm. Its a square not so far from the tower area. Come to think of it, nothing is very far from anything in this small town!

The main building in this small square has some amazing graffiti and just in front there is a very imposing statue of the man the square is dedicated to. Apparently, after a belated Wiki search the square is called Knight's Square as it was the headquarters of the Knights of St. Stephen and the man with his back to you is Cosimo I de' Medici, Duke of Florence in the 16th century.

I took a couple of extra pictures of the tower to show just how much it leans and for that matter, sinking. It was a better day for pictures so here they are.

That's all for now as I hope dinner won't be too long. Its curry tonight with the international trio. No guesses for who is going to cook it and I'll be watching carefully to try to pick up some hints. Cheers D

MONSOON TIME IN PISA

About a month ago I found a very cheap flight to Pisa, so that's why I'm here now. Of course nothing goes smoothly because as the plane descended through towering cumulus clouds like a  bucking bronco, I knew it wasn't going to be very dry down there in Pisa. The hostel lies about half way between the airport and the leaning thing, all easy walking distances.

However, due to some heavy rain, I took a bus to the hostel. Funny looking place but I think its ok. Not expensive, and next door to the railway station where I will get a train to Florence on Monday, and perhaps a day trip during the next couple of days because Pisa isn't such a large place to keep me interested. 
I wonder what tomorrow has in store?