Day 9 - Travel to Pisa and the Cinque Terra

This morning we breakfasted at the penzione and then checked out. We got the car packed up and locked up and then headed into town for some last minute errands. My friends shot off to the market to pick up some souvenirs that they had seen yesterday and I went in search of an internet connection. I found the Internet Train soon after it opened (9:30am?) and was able to get a seat before they filled up. And they filled up quickly. For 10,000 Lira/hour I dispatched highlights of our travels to family and friends. My friends arrived in time to take advantage of some of my unused, but paid for, time. Then we headed back to the car and bid good-bye to Florence.

The drive to Pisa started out very scenic as we wound through more of the Tuscan wine country. As we neared the coast the terrain became flatter and a little less interesting. We drove into Pisa, found a parking space and walked to the grounds of the leaning tower and the duomo. The grass lawns were all posted with signs, in multiple languages, not to walk on the grass. But there were hundreds of tourists, foreign and Italian, not only walking, but playing, gathering and having picnics right there next to the signs. It was ironically  comical how very few paid attention to those signs. We snapped our photos of the leaning tower in the bright sunshine and blue sky - just like the postcards. I could almost picture Galileo dropping his weights from the top of the tower to watch them hit the ground (although this story may be more lore than fact). The duomo is beautiful on the outside and is supposed to be equally so on the inside. But it does require something more than casual attire. On this very warm day we were wearing shorts and T-shirts which did not meet the dress code, so we respectfully refrained from making a visit to the inside. The area around the leaning tower is bustling with those pawning their wares to tourists. We moved past these vendors and down the street a bit to purchase some bread, wine and cheese. Supplies for lunch!

As we were headed back to the car, we had an unpleasant experience with a small group of Gypsies. I was walking several yards ahead of my two friends (one male, one female), my male friend stopped to take a photo, when a group of 7-8 youngsters descended on our female friend. They ranged in age from a baby to the oldest of about 13 and they employed the common distraction tactics - cardboard signs, baby in the arms, pleading looks and questioning for hand-outs - while they attempted to pick pockets and purses. Our friend let out a short cry to get our attention, but she was already retaliating. She did have to physically push one of the children away because they would not let go of her travel bag. This she did so quite forcefully and with a shout. That finally alerted us ding-a-ling guys. Before we could come to the rescue (which would have been too late - and which she obviously didn't need) the Gypsy group that had so quickly enfolded her, dispersed and moved around the corner, down the street and probably to the next unsuspecting target. We learned not to let our guard down, even for an instant. Even though we were all a bit shaken, we decided later that we shouldn't let the fear of such an incident prevent us from enjoying our travels, but that we should always be aware of what is going on around us and be prepared to protect ourselves. I think my friend's instincts were right on target. As soon and she took the offensive and became very vocal, the would-be pick -pockets moved on to find an easier target. Note: The gypsies, as a people, have a rich culture and a fascinating history. I do not believe, or mean to say, that all gypsies are thieves and pick-pockets. I use the term gypsy, as it is commonly used, only to describe the thieves we encountered. Whether our attackers were true gypsy (or Roma), I have no way of knowing.

With our food-stuffs in hand and our adrenaline flowing we headed North up the coast. We made a quick stop in the town of Massa to watch a local bike race. We ate some lunch and enjoyed the race from the curb of the street.

We had the unfortunate experience of having no reservations on a holiday weekend. This is a classic travel "no-no." In other words, "know" when the busy times are and "know" better than leave without making a reservation for the busy times. There was not a room to be found from Portovenereo to Genova.

We weren't left with many options at midnight after 6 hours of trying to find a room. So... Well, you put 2 and 2 together. We had a car... And no room... Bummer.