Tuscan Treasures Tour: Day 8

Thursday, June 13: Viareggio & Pisa

We had a more leisurely 9am departure this morning, so I could not only fit in a short morning walk before my workout but also breakfast in the restaurant rather than on the bus! Our first destination was on the Mediterranean Coast to the resort town of Viareggio. No local guide for a tour here, just free time on our own to wander along the beach and the market and enjoy the cooler temperatures. Mr. E, L, and I marveled at the infinite number of beach chairs and umbrellas set up all along the beach. Each section is privately owned with 30-year leases that are usually passed down within a family, but they have to allow some sort of public access to the ocean through their parcel. 

Most of the mini resorts included refreshment stands of some kind along with showers and changing rooms, and one even had its own pool! We explored a bit and then headed across the street to the Grant Hotel for a lovely restroom break, finishing up with snacks and beverages at a cafe along the passegiata near the bus stop. I also stopped along the way to procure some candy and a book as I was starting to run out of reading material.

Our next stop for the day was Pisa, where we had to take a tram into the city center since it's off limit to larger vehicles. We encountered a lot of strolling vendors as we walked into the main historic part with the Baptistery (currently closed), Cathedral, and Leaning Tower. 

Mr. E and I were part of the 10 folks from our tour who had purchased tickets to climb the Tower, so our small group made a quick restroom stop and then a brief tour of the Cathedral on our own before getting in line for our timed entry to the Tower. 

They're very strict about not allowing any sort of bag for folks climbing the Tower, and luckily M didn't mind being our "pack-horse" and guarding all of our stuff while his spouse and daughter climbed with the rest of us. Being in the base of the Tower was a bit disorienting because of the cant, but the spiral stair climb was just fine. And the view was amazing! Rather windy at the top, but well worth the experience.

L had stayed with a few of the other friendly ladies in the group, so Mr. E and I were on our own for lunch after the Tower climb. We found a cafe with seating in the shade and a great view of the plaza. An Aperol Spritz and tuna/tomato sandwich for each of us. Since we ordered a cocktail, we also received a little tapas tray of olives, peanuts, and corn chips. Yum! As we explored a bit more of the area after lunch, I got some sorbetto that was rather disappointing -- watermelon and almond sounded like interesting flavors, but they were both very bland. Darn.

The rest of the group had toured the Cathedral with P, but there was some confusion about the meet-up spot so we were missing M and his family when the rest of the group headed to the tram to go back to the bus transfer. Luckily, they caught the next tram, so there was a minimal delay.

Thanks to an earlier than usual return to the hotel, Mr. E and I finally had the time (and energy!) to walk to the grocery store near the hotel. I realized that I'd almost found it during my morning walks and just hadn't realized exactly where it was located. We procured a few supplies, including some mixed berries, pasta, and Lion bars, and admired the awesome self-scan system on the carts.

Tonight was the best dinner for me because it was all seafood. Yay!