Cruise - Day 5 (Livorno, Pisa, Tuscany!)

You.  Need.  To.  See.  Italy!

Day 5:  Another beautiful day, another beautiful taste of Italy.  We hopped on the Pisa Bus and made our way through the Tuscan countryside to Pisa and its infamous Piazza dei Miracoli, where the world's biggest catastrophe-turned-masterpiece awaited us.

Nice rides, huh? The Livorno port put us moments away from Camp Darby, Italy -- it's a comfort to know we're never far from American soil, no matter where in the world we go

Pisa Bus!

Pisa is only four meters above sea level, so it shouldn't be a shock that its legendary buildings are sinking.  The city was founded sometime between the 7th and 5th centuries BC; throughout its history, Pisa has been a flourishing powerhouse, a kingdom's subject, a slave to local cities which conquered it, and now, a tourist's haven.

Everything leans, not just the Tower

The Baptistry

The baptistry was established in 1153 but was not completed for 200 years.  The interior contains three stories and measures 55 meters tall.  The Gothic style is featured in the architecture; inside, there is a baptismal font unlike any other.  The font is shaped like an octagon and contains four smaller basins within it.  The nearby pulpit, designed in 1260, has a hexagonal base with seven columns surrounding it.  The columns represent each of humanity's greatest traits:  faith, charity, force, humility, fidelity, and innocence.

A rarity: a stand-alone baptistry, inside of which people can experience full immersion baptism

The Cathedral

We didn't have enough time to go inside the Cathedral, but our favorite part can be seen from the outside... Look very closely at the different marble stripes.  They're not even!  They were intentionally designed as such to give the illusion that the Cathedral is level, when in fact it is -- like the Tower and Baptistry -- leaning in these murky grounds.

The Cathedral

"Bell Tower, stand up!" When Liam first saw the Tower, those were his exact words. LOVE THIS KID.  He still talks about Pisa and the Bell Tower, comparing anything that falls down to the fated Tower

Ironic how the architects could give so much attention to detail... and then miss the fact that the whole piazza is sinking

The main bell in the Tower

From this vantage point, you can see the Tower doesn't just lean; it's curved like a banana, an architectural move intended to prevent the Tower from actually collapsing (so far, it's working!)

Whoa! Watch out below! 

I guess we know what he thinks about the Tower

From this side of the piazza, the grounds look like a cramped disaster

NUTELLLAAAAAA

After enjoying the crazy view in Pisa, we rode in our Pisa Bus to a hideaway in the Tuscan countryside:  the Montecarlo.  What a wonderful way to spend the afternoon!

Our Tuscan retreat

The safest place in the world: Daddy's arms

Montecarlo's homemade wines doing their thing behind us

The villa offered several varieties of both red and white, along with Vin Santo -- an amazing dessert wine (comparable to a tawny port)

The relaxed dining area, where we were given appetizers, homemade pasta, biscotti, and a sampling of four wines and the Vin Santo

Montecarlo -- what a view!!

All charged up after his fabulous nap

Along with a restaurant and winery, the Montecarlo had beautiful lodging and a pool

We returned to the ship in time to hang out at the pool, enjoy some sunshine, and have a quick bath before another fabulous dinner and an evening under the stars.

My two favorite men