VACATIONS - PART 3 --------------> ITALY!!!!!!

Saturday, June 23rd 2012, 04:00 am

My host family and I had already packed our things, because we were going for a week to Italy by car. We would stay at the area of Camaiore in Toscany, pretty close to the beach. The roadtrip lasted almost 12 hours. We started from Paris and crossed the southern part of France, passed through the Mont-Blanc, and then the north-western part of Italy (Milan, Livorno). During the trip, I didn't see anything else, but lands of grass, woodlands on the mountains , waterfalls... The scenery was MAGIC!!!!!

Monday, June 25th 2012

After spending the whole morning and noon on the beach (sandy beach with shallow waters!), in the afternoon, it was the first time to visit a sightseeing: the " Leaning Tower of Pisa" or "Campanile". But let me tell you few words... Pisa is the town (a medieval town) and the tower is located at La Piazza del Duomo (The Cathedral Square) surrounded by walls. At the square there are four remarkable monuments. 1. "Santa Maria Assunta" (the Cathedral/Duomo) : dedicated to the Assumption gf the Virgin Mary - founded in 1063 by Brusketo and Rainaldo and completed in 1118. 2. Campanile: or the "Leaning Tower of Pisa" - its foundations were laid on August 1173 by Gulielmo and Bonnano Pisano Why is it leaning?? When construction work had almost reached the top of the third order, land subsidence caused the trunk of the tower to lean over. Down the centuries, the nature of the land which caused the first dramatic subsidence together with the enormous weight of the building increased the inclination of the tower. Therefore, nonone can reach the top of it, but he or she can climb up the 293 steps to the summit. It's about a spiral staircase.. 3. The "San Giovanni Baptistery": by Diotislavi on August 15th 1152 4. Camposanto Vecchio (Old Cemetery): by Giovanni di Simone in 1272 The purpose of the four monuments' construction was to fully and intimately combine a fervent religious faith with a civic pride. La Piazza del Duomo is beautiful with all these sightseeings. To be honest, I wasn't so excited to see the Tower. However, I was speechless when I saw it. The funny part was that many people were taking photos with the same pose such as holding/pushing the tower with both hands or with one finger or relying on it, meanwhile other persons were climbing up the stairs of the tower!!! Anyway, another one experience came to an end!!! Ciao!!!!:P

Tuesday, June 26th 2012

FIRENZE! Oh yes, we went to Florence!!!! Going there, I loved the scenery!! it was so beautiful!!! AAAhhhhh Toscany!!! Anyway, we entered in Florence from the Piazzale Michelangelo by doing a tour across La Via di Belvedere. The whole city was underneath. The view was like a famous painting... :P Afterwards, we reached Lungarno Torigianni, the road besides the Arno river. We crossed Le Ponte A.Vespucci, and the adventure just started! We walked till Le Ponte Vecchio (The Old Bridge) where we separated and I had the chance to explore the city by mmyself! So, I crossed Le Ponte Vecchio with the little, but expensive stores on it, and I admired the view of the river. Then, I went back to find the Duomo ----> "Santa Maria del Fiore". Finding the Cathedral, I stood for a while at La Piazza della Signoria where there are the Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace) with the tower of Arnolfo di Cambio on the top and the Loggia dei Lanzi (a late gothic structure by Benci di Cione and Simone Talenti) with the statues. Then, I took La Via di Proconsolo and admired the magnifisence of Santa Maria del Fiore. It's huge!!! I wanted to go inside, but I didn't, because there was a long queue and I had 3 hours at my disposal to explore the town. So, I decided to take a walk around. What I saw: 1. Piazza della Signoria 2. Santa Maria del Fiore 3. Palazzo Strozzi (exhibition) 4. Bibliotheque Nazionale

Friday, June 29th 2012

It's the last day before going back to Paris, and we decided to visit the "small version" of Florence, Lucca!!! It's really beautiful city surrounded by walls, just like all the old cities. Inside, apart from the picturesque residences, churches and stores, there is a canal as well..! WHAT MORE??? Lucca it's the hometown of Giacomo Puccini where there is his home.