A nice day trip from Florence.
Yes Pisa is a bit touristy but there is quite a bit of history behind it. Pisa was dominant in the trade between parts of Europe and North Africa, and in the 12th century the money it brought resulted in the start of this amazing complex. The Duomo, baptistry, and of course the leaning tower itself are all part of this complex and seen in this photo.
We actually enjoyed the Duomo the most, with its beautiful facades...
....and the interior, including the mosaics.
The Baptistry was started in 1152 and includes an interior built with lots of marble. Pretty expensive, it took about a century to complete.
And of course the tower itself. Its built on a poor foundation but still "stands" so to speak.
For as busy and touristy Piasa was, Lucca was quite the opposite. Filled with many peaceful and narrow streets, small shops, and nice restaurants. Its a place to chill for sure.
Lucca is completely surrounded by a wall, about 4 km in diameter I believe, with a few portals strategically placed to shut out the traffic.
A nice place to stop for lunch!
....and stroll in the quiet streets, up to the old Roman amphitheater
The complete set (of 50) can be seen here, if you are so inclined.
http://www.flickr.com …e/sets/72157630377816012/
(24Lii, sigma 50A, 135L), and for the other ends of the spectrum, sigmaEX 14mm2.8 and sigmaEX 100-300F4.
