An Explorer In Rome: Tuscan Weekend: Part 1

So this past weekend I went with AUR to Tuscany! On Friday, we went to Pisa. Saturday to Florence. And today we went to a little vineyard near Trequanda. There is much to tell so I'm breaking it into two parts.

Friday, we left bright and early at 7 am. I guess I was anxious because I kept waking up in the middle of the night. I ran a little bit and then got ready to go. (I decided to have an easy week for miles this week--to take a break.) Anyway, we finally arrived in Pisa. As soon as we stepped off the bus, we were surrounded by guys selling sunglasses and umbrellas. It was cloudy out and very annoying. We had a tour of Pisa (just around the tower and into the duomo). Then we had a lot of time to kill. We got a little something to eat--just a slice of pizza for me. We managed to escape the tourist section and found ourselves near the university and the Arno River. After walking around, we made our way back to the tower to take some typical pictures pushing and hugging the tower. I actually liked Pisa, once you escaped the many stalls selling miniature leaning towers. No day is complete unless you get gelato--mint and vanilla (adventurous!).

After a long four hours in Pisa, the bus took us to our hotel. I was lucky enough to get a room with my friends Katie and Amy. At 8, we had dinner. It was amazing. First course was meat lasagna. Second course was a buffet of cheese/salad bar. Third course was meat (I forget what it was!) and potatoes. To finish off, we had "grandma's cake," which was like vanilla/cream pudding with a crust and powdered sugar. I think I gained 10 pounds after that meal. It was a long day, so I fell right asleep when I got back to the room. More about Florence and wine tomorrow!