This day was bus tour day. Our first destination was Piazza del Duomo in Pisa, also known as Piazza dei Miracoli. We were still on a walking tour in Florence but we were already excited about this bus tour. We started the tour by briskly walking from the meeting place to the bus parking station. One thing we can say – Italians, can walk – fast! The tour started and the driver began expertly maneuvering the bus through the narrow streets of Florence. On the outskirts of Florence, there was mist and fog but the drive didn’t feel dangerous. We reached our destination safely.

Piazza del Duomo was an open grassy space with buildings surrounding and walling it. Four magnificent structures were in the piazza – the Baptistry, the Cathedral, the Leaning Tower, and the cloistered cemetery. We entered the piazza through one of the arched gateways – Porta Nuova. The baptistry was closest to the entrance and the leaning bell tower was on the farthest side.

I was surprised upon seeing the place because most of my readings focused more on the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Even postings on social media focused more on the tower. It was not the only magnificent structure in the piazza. In fact, it was not even the biggest structure. The Baptistry, the first structure that I saw upon entering the piazza, was already massive and magnificent by itself.

The cathedral was built forming the shape of a cross. Its architectural design was Romanesque and similar to the other structures in the piazza. The characteristic symmetry and rounded arches were unmistakable. Inside the cathedral, it was cavernous and was as intricately designed as similar buildings we saw in Italy.

Surrounding the Leaning Tower of Pisa were scores of people trying to pose for a good photograph. I guess the most popular pose was “the push”. This was followed by “the finger poke” or “the finger pinch” off the tower top. It was fun watching successive groups of people do the same pose.

We spent one hour exploring and seeing the buildings and art works. In the end, we wished we could have had more time and explored at a more leisurely pace. We hope to be back in the future. The next stop of the tour was the medieval town of San Gimignano.