We packed and left early-ish. Unfortunately, the cafe we ate at yesterday morning (with the "No Whining" sign) was closed (it being a Saturday and all). We found another place on our way to the train station, and got tickets for the 1h20m regionale train to Pisa. As we only just made the train, it was only once we were underway that I realised we were supposed to validate our ticket (travelling without a validated ticket has a fine of 40 euro). In the end, our ticket was not inspected, so my worrying was for nought.
From the Pisa train station, we briskly walked the half hour across town in the steamy late morning heat. By the time we got to Campo Piazza dei Miracoli, the boys were completely over it. They were charging entrance fees to all the buildings, including the Duomo (except for one small, cloistered section reserved for those wishing to pray). None of the others were remotely interested in entering yet another bloody church, so I left them sitting in the shade with a light breeze and wandered about the Campo taking photos of the marble tiered wedding cakes that decorated the immaculate green lawns.
[Pics to come]
Last time I was here, the perimeter of the lawns were lined with stalls selling crappy souvenirs - plaster models of the torre pendant (leaning tower), postcards and all the other usual dreck. This time, the piazza was free of the touts, instead the buildings were lined with printed screens over scaffolding. Also last time, there were families picnicing on the grass - walking on the grass was now mostly forbidden.
The lads had all had enough, so we walked more slowly back towards the station. I refused to allow us to buy any food within a couple of blocks of the Campo (mega tourist prices), but we eventually found a gelateria about halfway back to the station. As we crossed the river, we ended up walking down the main pedestrian shopping strip/thoroughfare. There were pop-up stalls all down the mall, with fake grass and a display board advising what that particular stall was about - I gather it was an alternative health expo, and the stalls were advising on various aspects. My Italian is not anywhere near strong enough for me to tell you anything more. We had a relaxed, modest lunch at a small cafe just off the main strip, and then continued on back to the station.
Although we had several hours until our 4:50pm flight, the guys just wanted to get to the airport so they could collapse/stop walking, so we queued for a while to catch a taxi out to the airport. Turns out it was about the same distance from the station as the Duomo, so we could easily have walked, but then we wouldn't have the 'automobiles' of title. And my feet wouldn't have coped - my blisters are still giving me a lot of grief.
From the Pisa train station, we briskly walked the half hour across town in the steamy late morning heat. By the time we got to Campo Piazza dei Miracoli, the boys were completely over it. They were charging entrance fees to all the buildings, including the Duomo (except for one small, cloistered section reserved for those wishing to pray). None of the others were remotely interested in entering yet another bloody church, so I left them sitting in the shade with a light breeze and wandered about the Campo taking photos of the marble tiered wedding cakes that decorated the immaculate green lawns.
[Pics to come]
Last time I was here, the perimeter of the lawns were lined with stalls selling crappy souvenirs - plaster models of the torre pendant (leaning tower), postcards and all the other usual dreck. This time, the piazza was free of the touts, instead the buildings were lined with printed screens over scaffolding. Also last time, there were families picnicing on the grass - walking on the grass was now mostly forbidden.
The lads had all had enough, so we walked more slowly back towards the station. I refused to allow us to buy any food within a couple of blocks of the Campo (mega tourist prices), but we eventually found a gelateria about halfway back to the station. As we crossed the river, we ended up walking down the main pedestrian shopping strip/thoroughfare. There were pop-up stalls all down the mall, with fake grass and a display board advising what that particular stall was about - I gather it was an alternative health expo, and the stalls were advising on various aspects. My Italian is not anywhere near strong enough for me to tell you anything more. We had a relaxed, modest lunch at a small cafe just off the main strip, and then continued on back to the station.
Although we had several hours until our 4:50pm flight, the guys just wanted to get to the airport so they could collapse/stop walking, so we queued for a while to catch a taxi out to the airport. Turns out it was about the same distance from the station as the Duomo, so we could easily have walked, but then we wouldn't have the 'automobiles' of title. And my feet wouldn't have coped - my blisters are still giving me a lot of grief.
Pisa airport, like most regional airports in Italy, is the domain of low cost airlines. Nonetheless, it is much better equipped than Italy's premier airport, Fiumicino. Reading the departures board here is a huge contrast to those in Melbourne's airport. These are going everywhere, including to countries/cities I couldn't hope to place on a map. Our easyJet flight was uneventful, and we arrived in Paris pretty much on time.
We chose train again to get to Paris (discarding taxi and bus) - not a cheap option, but deposited us at Chatelet-Les Halles, where we could change to the metro line at no extra cost to get to St Lazare.
Our hotel was the closest to traditional hotel that we've stayed at on the Continent, with a 24-hour reception (where you had to hand in your key each time you went out). JD commented that it was the quickest check-in we'd done - no payment required immediately, no photocopying of passports, no detailing of the amenities of the room, only asking whether we wanted breakfast the next morning (yes), and to advise that our room was on the third floor. In fact a slightly more effusive welcome would have been helpful - there was no in-room information, and it was only on sending JD back down to reception to enquire about the remote control for the aircon did we discover that those are also kept at reception, and only available on request (!). Oh, and the wifi was out of service, apparently some problem up stream due to the weather.
Horrified at the dinner prices, and limited by options (many were closed by 8:30pm on a Saturday night), we ended up eating at a chinese diner type thing. JD and I had pho, the boys had fried rice and dumplings (mini dim sum and steamed gyoza type things), called 'ravioli' in French. We then returned to our hotel and collapsed into bed - the aircon barely adequate in the small quad-share room in the heavy humidity and heavier bedclothes.
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