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Port: Livorno
Tootsie’s Bottom Line:
- Tour Provider: Share a Shore Excursion
- Travel Type: Semi-Private (6 people)
- Transportation: Small van
- Cost: $$
- Kid Friendly: 15+
- Tips: To get the classic leaning tower picture, go to the back left side of the tower as you face the entrance
- Good to know: many cathedrals require shoulders and knees covered
Pisa
Thursday was our day in Florence and Pisa. My mom was in Florence on her last trip to Italy and told me that she was looking forward to returning since everyone she knew loved it! We used a semi-private tour this time through Share a Shore Excursion. Unlike the other tours this was a small group of 5. We met our guide and the rest of our group and traveled in a small van. Our guide wanted to get us to Pisa before the large buses. Pisa is a small town that is really only known for its famous leaning tower. Unlike Rome, we didn’t pre-purchase tickets so when we got to Pisa we went directly to the ticket office. We had a short wait, then climbed the tower. It’s strange, and you can absolutely feel that the tower is leaning. The tower was recently reinforced so there is no danger to visitors. The view from the top was pretty, and the town was super cute. Due to a tight schedule we weren’t able to visit the beautiful Pisa Cathedral. We were able to visit the Pisa Baptistery, which was absolutely beautiful. This site has some interesting information about Pisa and the Square of Miracles that we wish we’d read before visiting. Overall, Pisa was a really pretty town and we both agreed that we’d like to come back and spend a little more time here. We spent far too much time trying to get the right picture before we realized we were taking it from the wrong place!!!
Florence
The drive to from Pisa to Florence was about an hour and a half and really pretty. Our guide offered to take us to see “David” but it was either David or Florence. We chose to spend our limited time in Florence. We drove into town and our guide recommended, Finisterrae, for lunch.
My mom said that she had her favorite food in Florence and the salad, bruschetta, and pizza we had for lunch were my favorites of the trip. We only saw the outside of the duomo, Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore because the lines were huge. We explored the market and saw a replica of David instead. We enjoyed a walk across the Ponte Vecchio and visiting some of the shops before meeting our guide to head back to the ship. Overall it was a great day! Florence was pretty and our lunch was delicious.
