Pisa
We rode the bus for about 45 minutes from Monticatini. We will only see the main attraction here-the leaning tower at the square-the religious center of the city. It is a beautiful church and its bell tower, which is the leaning tower. It was required to be separate from the church. Builders miscalculated the soil-it wasn't compacted enough. Stopped work on it for over one hundred years and then started again.
Pisa used to be on the coast, but the mountains have changed that. Sailors used to be able to sail to all the known world from here.
Carrara Marble from this area is still used, just as Michelangelo did.
Galileo was born here and used the leaning tower as he started working on the laws of gravity.
Our guide gets us moving early and has early reservations if we are somewhere where they are needed. It has proven so beneficial because today we were some of the first tourists at the tower and could take our pictures of us "holding it up". By the time we'd been there less than an hour (of course standing in bathroom lines part of that time) and lines to buy water some of the time, there were countless busloads of tourists in line to even get near the church. Don't know how they'd be able to take pictures.
Walking back to the little train that would take us to our bus, the guide pointed out the berries (inedible) on the cypress trees. I've never been close to one to see them. Then he said the female trees are flat at the top, whereas the males are pointed. Someone in our group said, "well, we know Mother Nature is consistent!" The trees date back to Roman times when they'd plant them almost like a tunnel, to provide shade.
Then he showed us a bush by a wall that had white flowers on it-it is a bush that capers grow on. Sure never thought about where they came from.
The Wing family in our Group said whenever they travel they use their bodies and something in that area to form the word Ohio, since they live near Cleveland. Today they used the leaning tower as the I. Their local TV station shows the pictures viewers send in of unusual ways to spell it, so they're sure their picture will get on the program.
On the bus again. Saw a sunflower field-one of the most common flowers in Tuscany.
Now driving to the Apennines mountains. Guide points out what looks like snow at the top of one. But is a Marble field! Water in the soil produces sandstone, marble, travertine, etc. In ancient times slaves in caves used metal ropes to cut it, added water and wood somehow to the Groove, it separated the Marble and they'd move it in a cart. Now electric machines are used, of course.
Apennines-a million years ago they were a coastline. Fossils and seashells have been found on their tops. As Africa pushed Italy, they rose.
Now we're on our way to Venice on a highway that was built between WWI and WWII. We're surrounded by trucks and see that a construction zone has slowed things down. One next to us has an Ireland address and says it delivers to Scandanavia. Obviously it delivers here too or else his hopelessly lost!
Italy's highway system is second only to Germany's, in Europe, and is controlled by a private company.
Our new bus has a computer card that shows all activity. We haven't had to stop at a toll booth, though we've gone through several, so they must read it and bill the company. Guide told us if driver got pulled over by the police, by law they can read the last three months' activity on that card, including how many hours per day the bus was driven (there is a limit).
Rapeseed (what makes canola oil) is used to make gas for the homes. After Chernobyl, the Italians closed down all nuclear plants. Then some people thought it was silly to import the energy when the country could be producing it (Hmmm, sound familiar with our gas and oil?) Anyway, a referendum was to be voted on. A couple of days before the vote was to occur, the Japanese nuclear disaster happened, so it was vetoed.
Outside of Bologna
Marconi, inventor of the radio was born here.
Stopped at an auto grill-gas station, conv. store, deli and buffet type restaurant. It was very crowded, but Igor said it was notnearly as busy as it could be. Of course takes so long to get through bathroom line. Even the men were lined up, because they had 6 urinals closed off. We only had 40 mins. to do that, get our food, eat, and walk to the bus. Felt really rushed, but Igor said we had to keep pushing to get to our boat in Venice. Our total drive today was 242 miles, one of the 2 longest days. Back on the bus for 2 more hours. Speed limit for buses is 60.
Suddenly we were out of view of any mountains and driving on flat lands. Igor is telling us that George Clooney and the Heinz Family own very expensive villas on Lake Como, in the North. He said usually families keep the villas for generations, but eventually George was able to buy one. (Aside: we visited with an American couple from another tour today and they said they saw his villa yesterday and the story they're going to stick with at home is that he visited with them while he cleaned his dock. Surrrre.)
As we passed a lot of poplar trees Igor told us Mussolini had thousands planted to protect crops. They're still used for that purpose here and in America.
This is where the sharecropper concept was begun-by Caesar Augustus.
There is a Ferrari factory near Bologna. Also in this area was a Lamborghini tractor factory. Mr. L. bought a Ferrari, liked the engine, and asked that family to form a partnership. They refused and the rest is history.
Pavorroti is from this area. Passed 50+ miles of various agricultural fields.
Arrived in Venice Very interesting info:
Second busiest city in the world-after NYC. Comprised of 117 islands and over 400 bridges connecting them.
Everything has to be brought in from the mainland. There are no buses, trucks, cars, motor scooters or bikes here!! Even the police vehicles and ambulances are boats. Wedding and funeral processions usually occur on the water. You either walk, ride a water taxi or gondola, or drive your own boat. We even saw a UPS boat.
The boats unload on the docks. Men with pull or push carts pack the parcels, cases of drinks, whatever, on the carts and drag them through the thousands of locals and tourists walking on the sidewalks!
We saw a small barge with a small crane unloading the grocery cases at a grocery store.
Trash collection is very complicated and they recycle, too.
The huge lagoon is one of the most important ecological systems in Europe. There aren't mountains here, so in ancient times the people moved around the lagoon because the barbarians who were invading everywhere couldn't get their boats in the lagoon. The locals also had some gates in the water and cannons. Now cruise ships can get pretty close on the Adriatic Sea. The canals range from 15' to 45' deep.
The big shipyard here is one of the largest in Europe.
We drove across the lagoon on a very long bridge and it reminded us of driving to the Florida Keys.
We left the bus. Our luggage was packed onto a boat by porters so they could get it to the hotel. We walked a ways to our boat. Had a short ride on it and then walked a ways to the hotel. It is very non-desript on the outside, but beautiful inside. We heard that is typical of Venice. Down to the parlor for a welcome drink of proschetto (sp?) and a breadstick.
Tom and I walked to a cafe right on the canal. Some of our group were going on a gondola ride. We saw them coming and were able to wave and take their pictures in the 4 gondolas. All the gondolas are shiny black, with red velvet seats and fancy decorations in them.
Traffic jams on the canals, with all kinds of boats. So many very large water taxis passed us, all filled to the brim with people seated and standing. It is 6:00 p.m., so probably a lot of locals, too.
Here came 2 gondolas, with people listening to the man seranading them (for a fee, of course). Then roaring past them was a boat with 2 young guys and blaring music.
Tom tried some authentic spaghetti and I had potato gnochis with ham and zucchini. Not crazy about them and so rich.
Guide told us the pilings under the buildings were made centuries ago from alder wood. Over time they petrified. The foundations were built on top of those.
One couple in our group flew for 24 hours from Australia to London, with only a short stop in Singapore. Ugh.
92 degrees today 311 steps
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