Pisa

Sunday 26 October 2008
Today we're in Pisa. It wasn't much of a hassle to get here, like I said, we didn't have to pay for the train, but it was definitely an adventure when we got off the train. The only directions we had were an address and the supposition that the hostel was a kere kilometer from the train station. so we checked the map and counldn't find it so we walked around a bit. On our walk we found a train stop with the name of the street that we needed on it, "Mateucci". We we decided to wait for the bus, thinking it could be like the ones in Sevilla where you pay once you get on. But they're not, you have to buy a ticket in a tabacci, or tabaco shops. Unfotunately for us, it's Sunday and everything is closed. So we head back to the train station where there's a place to buy tickets and we hop onto the bus. We get off at the Mateucci stop and look around us only to discover that we've been dropped almost in the middle of no where. No buildings, no street signs. SO we start walking. Unfotunately in the wrong direction. Two hours after getting off the train we encounter our hostel (after asking several people, changing directions, and crossing the street twice) But No one is home, just a note that says to call. As it turns out the hostel had no hot water for the night so they moved us to a hostel in the centro. It was way more convenient. Instead of a probable hour walk to the tower it only took us 20-30 minutes miander to make it to the tourist center. Moreover the train station was less than 5 minutes away.
Now the tower is pretty cool, I have to admit, but that's about it. It was tall and pretty and there were quite a few people. I think it would have been a good day trip, hop on the train in the morning, explore, hop on again in the evening and move onto Siena. But that's not what we did.