a traveler without observation is a bird without wings - moslih eddin saadi

We arrived back in Florence around noon and immediately began sightseeing. The Duomo complex was first and it was really magnificent. Though the interior wasn't terribly spectacular save for the frescoes on the dome ceiling, the facade of the cathedral, battistero and campanile (bell tower) were fabulous. The white and black with splashes of pink marble created a gorgeous pattern of stone. The brightness of the stone really contrasted well with the bright red roofs of the city allowing for the buildings to really stand out. After seeing a similar style of architecture in Siena, I assumed this was a Tuscan thing since Rome had nothing like this and when we went to Venice later, the architecture was vastly different. In addition, the carving work, though not as intense as Notre Dame, was still worthy of great praise.

As I said above, the interior of the cathedral wasn't that interesting. Like most other European churches there were side chapels containing statues, tombs and paintings and the rest of the cathedral was open and empty. There were only a few pews set up but this may be so in high tourist season it doesn't get too crowded.

The frescoes on the dome ceiling were really pretty and I wish I'd gotten a picture in focus. The colors were bright with lots of yellows and blues. The layout of the frescoes were unique as well since it had concentric circles, each with different images in the layers. Another unique facet of the Duomo was that the gift shop was in the basement adjacent to the tomb entrance. All the original foundation stonework is there so they have items laid out on rocks jutting out of the walls.

One thing that I didn't like about Florence was that everything had an admission price, unlike a lot of places in Rome which were free, and that the admission prices weren't 2-4 Euros, but 6-8 which puts a damper in plans when you're on a budget. The Duomo admission prices were no different so we had to decide whether to spend our money to climb the Duomo (485? steps) or the Campanile. A hostel roommate of mine in Rome told to me that if you could only do one, the Campanile is the better option because you get a view of the famous Red Roof Dome. If you're on the Dome, yes you're a little higher and you might feel more accomplished, but you don't get to see it in all its glory. Therefore, to the Campanile we went. By this point I was getting much better at climbing stairs in an efficient manner without losing my breath after 10 steps and not slowing down the people behind me. Even so, the different floors of the Campanile offered a nice breaking point and I got to see the carvings alongside the Duomo really close up.

From the top of the tower the 360 degree view of Florence was gorgeous! Red roofs seemed to go into the distance forever, much like Siena so it must be another Tuscan thing.

From the roof we had a wonderful view of the Dome on the Duomo, we could see the Medici Chapels, Palazzo Vecchio, Piazza della Repubblica, and Santa Croce, all places we had yet to visit. Seeing the layout of the city beforehand helped me a lot because when you're in a foreign city, knowing where things are in relation to one another helps a lot with direction. I also saw how small Florence was in comparison to Rome and Paris. Most things we were going to, or wanted to see, were within 15-20 minutes walking distance.

leaning tower of...pizza?

The train arrived in Florence on time and the city was bustling as I made my way down the main street. I had met an American family on the train who were returning to Florence after visiting Siena for the day and the parents said they would point me in the right direction since they'd been in the city for a few days now. I thought "what the hell? this is nice" and followed them. They pointed out a couple of the major areas and by the time we reached the river I realized they had taken me completely out of the way. I was about 2 bridges south of where I wanted to be. Normally I wouldn't have minded, but Florence is an old city with almost all of the roads and sidewalks being cobblestone. I was traveling with small carry-on rolling suitcase. Let's just say it wasn't easy, and one of wheels barely survived. And by the time I arrived at my hostel I was extremely relieved. Though the river was gorgeous at night and I took a moment to appreciate it, the extra walk was not what I had in mind after a long day already stricken with plenty of lost-ness.

The next morning was a very early one. Anne and Lauren were arriving from Vienna after an all-night train ride so I had to meet them at the station. Florence in the early morning hours was completely different than the previous night. Empty and silent, there was almost no one out and about. I met up with them on schedule and after walking to our hotel and dropping our bags off we headed back out and off to Pisa. Only an hour from Florence by train, we took the time to catch up and ended up reminiscing about how we learned to multiply. Anne learned the most bizarre way I have ever seen. Which is weird since we went to the same school...

We didn't spend much time in Pisa but it seemed like a very relaxed and laid back city. It's small, therefore it felt a lot like Tours, France; a residential city rather than a center of everything one. The Tower, Battisterto and Duomo is about a 5-10 minute walk from the train station and in a very nice area. It's nice and spread out and the rest of the city isn't towering around it. There's room to breathe and admire. The weather was gorgeous, with the bright blue sky only enhancing the beautiful, carved, white stone of the buildings. Even cooler was the old ancient city wall which sits around the far side of the complex.





Initially, the tower doesn't really look like it's leaning but as we walked around it the angle changed and you definitely see the shifted foundation. Because it kept changing I kept thinking my mind was playing tricks on me or something and it was all just an illusion. Nope, it is definitely leaning. Another thing I thought was interesting was that it wasn't very tall. Compared to the size of Pisa's other buildings, it was a little bit taller so it may provide a nice city view, but compared to the Eiffel Tower or even the tower on Notre Dame or the Cupola of St. Peter's, the tower wasn't tall at all. Maybe only 4 stories or so...

Inside the Duomo, there wasn't much of a difference compared to the other Italian churches. A beautifully carved ceiling, a wonderfully painted dome, the altar, side chapels and large paintings adorning the walls. Here, I liked the carved ceiling the best. There was variety in the carvings and as a whole they created a pattern which was visually stunning.


On our way back to the station, we crossed the river once again and the reflection was so picture perfect I had to stop and stare in awe. I can't remember seeing anything like it before. The water was still, nothing disturbing it floating up or down. No trash, boats, people, animals. Nothing. Its mirror properties were outstanding and the reflection was one of my favorite images to capture.

sing the bells, bells, bells, bells bells, bells, bells, bells bells of Notre Dame...

Yes, the title of this post is from a Disney movie that is based off the novel by Victor Hugo. I'm not ashamed to say that all I know about this indescribable cathedral comes from that Disney movie, but it's true. Before seeing it for myself, I knew what it looked like and that it was famous for its gargoyles, gargoyles that I really wished sang and danced like in the film. My first viewing of Notre Dame was during the night bike tour and although it was very pretty all lit up, my second viewing with the church standing against a backdrop of crystal clear blue sky was jaw-droppingly beautiful.


I don't know anything about architecture besides what I like and think is pretty, and Notre Dame is something I loved. In front of the cathedral there is a plaza where there are plants and benches and it's a place I imagine is packed on a sunny summer day. On this sunny November day there were a lot of people but not so many that I couldn't find a seat and gaze and gaze and gaze at the beauty of the church. I don't think there are any words that can describe how detailed and artistic Notre Dame is. There are hundreds of sculptures and intricate carvings on the front and the symmetry is outstanding. Sure it took 600 years to build, but even then I still can't imagine how the Parisians from so long ago were able to construct it. I tried to imagine, but since there's only so much the mind can take I had to stop. My mind would just be blown.


The inside of the cathedral was dark, but I was still able to appreciate the utter beauty of it all even if I couldn't get pictures that reflected what I was seeing with my eyes. I think my favorite part of the interior was the large stained glass windows on each side right before the altar begins. They were just really gorgeous and huge and pretty.

After I made my way throughout the whole sanctuary I exited the building and hopped in line for the climb to the towers. Because space is so limited up there only 40 people can be admitted at a time so the line moves steadily, but not necessarily quickly.

The staircase was long and spirally and I was very winded when I got to the top and my legs were definitely shaking, but the view was wonderful and seeing all the gargoyles up close was so cool!
Each one was so different and unique and although not terribly detailed, they had great facial expressions. Some were also animals or hybrids of animals instead of just scarwinged creatures or human-like creatures that have been depicted in the Disney movie or the cartoon series "Gargoyles." And as with all the things I really liked, I took way too many pictures of them.



The view from the cathedral was wonderful because I could see the two areas of the city I'd already visited (The Eiffel Tower and Sacre Coeur) and it gave me a different perspective of the layout of Paris.

While at the base of the bell towers you can enter the one on the right (facing the church) and go up and see one of the bells. They also explain how they are operated and how many men it takes to make them play. It was all very interesting. And of course I had a moment's flash to the movie where Quasimodo swings through all the bells to play them, and when he tells Esmerelda all the names he gave them.

After visitng the bells I then had to wait until the group at the top of the bell tower had descended before going up with my group. It was another spiral staircase and there wasn't much extra to see at the top, but it was still fun. The best part was being able to see the architecture of the flying buttresses and other elements from almost a birds-eye view.

The worst part was that you could only circle the top once and were limited to 5-7 min to see everything. Once everyone was done looking we then began the descent down the stairs to the ground.


Another part of the Notre Dame complex area was a crypt of an archealogical dig which uncovered and preserved the remains of the ancient city of Paris. There was a lot of information to get, but I couldn't grasp what the place looked like because it was so worn and it was like in a building that felt like an aquarium or zoo or something. Okay, that description sucked, but I can't really do better. I just didn't feel it. So I skipped the whole second half and headed to the Metro. On my way there I looked at the Mémorial de la Déportation which is a tribute to the 200,000 French who were deported to concentration camps. I also passed by Hotel DeVille, (and yes, I think of Cruella DeVille everytime I hear this, so what?) which is Paris' City Hall and it was pretty cool. Next stop on the itinerary...Place de la Concorde and the Musee l'Orangie.

Sacre Coeur

My first stop for my second day in Paris was the Sacre Coeur, a five minute walk from my hostel, but I had to return to the Gare du Nord to make train reservations first. I get up, get dressed and head downstairs to see what's for breakfast. It's pretty pathetic. Some rolls, a couple pieces of bread and what I think is peanut butter (Halleluliah!) but it isn't (God damn it!). No one is downstairs so I throw 6 rolls in my bag and head out to the train station. At Gare du Nord there is no wait at the ticket windows and the attendant speaks English pretty well. However, I experience great shock and awe at the fees that accompany specific trains I must make reservations for (look for a future post on the European train system).

After dealing with the ticket reservations I head back to the hostel in desperate need to use the expensive internet. I quickly send off a warning email to Anne (my sister) about our meeting time change in Rome, push all the stress from the situation to the back of my mind and finally head out to Sacre Coeur. The Sacre Coeur is a very large church at the top of the highest point in Paris called Montmarte. With no other hills around, Montmarte is quite noticeable from lookout points such as the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame. The church is the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Paris and was built quite recently (finished in 1914) compared to other ancient Parisian sights.

The hike up to the church is fairly steep but not horribly difficult as there are steps built into the hill the entire way up. The worst part of the climb are the obnoxious, persistent people at the bottom of the hill trying to sell you woven bracelets or something. The outside of the basilica is very plain with a few statues of men on horseback and some religious ones. No intricate carvings like many of the Roman churches I will later visit. I really like the metal lion heads with the door handles in their mouths.

The inside of the church is just as simple as the outside. The dome is really cool to look up into and the stained glass is very interesting. As this was the first European church on my trip I was extremely impressed by the architecture and appearance but if I had seen it after some of the others I probably wouldn't have thought so. After visiting the interior I walk around the side and into the entrance to the dome and crypt.

It's a one way trip to the top up a VERY narrow spiral staircase and it's very easy to get dizzy while climbing up. This stairwell doesn't actually lead to the central dome. Instead it's one of the side ones and you must climb along the roof of the church to enter the stairwell for the main dome. This part is really fun and I like being close to the different towers, seeing the roof up close and there is a really steep, tiny stairwell I have to climb.

I make it to the top of the central dome eventually and the view of Paris is very nice. The only problem is that it's early in the morning and the sun is still low against the horizon, shining through all the haze and making it very difficult to see specific parts of the city. You can make certain things out, but it might have been better later in the day. Because of this, I plan out my days in the other cities to include tower climbs mid-day.

After soaking in the view for a little bit I head down to the crypt. For the descent you take the exact same set of stairs except on the other side of the church and it is just as narrow as the first one and takes more effort to not get dizzy. A technique I figured out to help is go slow and don't look where you're stepping. Seeing the stairs go in a circle is more dizzying and looking at the wall. When I get to the crypt I'm disappointed to find it's closed. I go out front to the church and admire the facade some more before heading back down the hill to the Metro station. Next stop: the Concierge.