Two Tall Towers

On Monday we headed out for a day trip to Lucca and Pisa. Riding bikes on the ramparts of Lucca was one of the first things that I came across when researching our trip to Europe, so I had been looking forward to it for quite a while. I had envisioned a smooth leisurely ride on my own single bike, but when the kids saw an opportunity for another wild experience on a rickety multi-passenger bike, they couldn't appreciate my bike riding vision.

Sarah, Emilie, Sophia and Ezra climbed on one bike and Jonathan, Annelise, Mia and I climbed on another. Emilie and Jonathan were at the wheel, and our ride immediately turned into a racing adventure. We whipped around the ramparts, with only a quick stop for a picnic lunch and a few minutes at the playground, 40 feet above the city.

Jonathan and I arrived back first, but everyone agreed that a bit of poor sportsmanship was involved, including fishtailing and blocking, so perhaps Sarah and Emilie deserve the medal! Despite winning or loosing, we all returned laughing, having made another spectacle of ourselves during a wild adventure.

We made a quick stop in the town's piazza and then climbed Lucca's trademark Torre Guinigi, which is a tower with a grove of ilex trees growing atop.

We hopped in the car and found our way to Pisa. This stop proved to be light hearted and fun, with the kids posing for favorite photos in front of one of Italy's most famous landmarks. The Campo dei Miracoli, which is the complex housing the duomo, baptistry and tower, was full of student groups and lined with tourist shops. We joined the crowds relaxing on the grass, shopped for charms for the girls charm bracelets and took photos in front of the iconic bell tower.

Being a popular tourist destination, the streets coming into the Campo were lined with peddlers, hawking all sorts of goods. It was interesting to experience their sales strategy. As I drove down the street, men holding boxes of sale-able goods chased my car, trying to help me find a parking spot. When I found a good slot for our car, a man from the group caught up to us, guided me in to my parallel spot, walked me over to the pay parking machine and showed me how it worked, brought me back to the car to make sure that I put the ticket in the right spot and then promised that he would watch my car while we were gone. After showing us how to get to the tourist center, he presented me with a Costco sized package of Kleenex to buy. He was successful in his strategy. We haggled briefly and then I headed to the Leaning Tower of Pisa with enough tissues under my arm to last the rest of our trip in Europe.