Pisa.
Famed almost entirely for its under-average sized cock-eyed Tower mobbed every hour by hoards of visiting tourists wrapped in puffy jackets, clutching maps and slices of pizza buying plastic replicas of the erection and tea-towel souvenirs from tacky street stalls. Here you also have to be very wary of getting a poke in the eye from a misguided selfy stick in the vicinity of the basilica!
Seen it, done it, bought the tea-towel so we don't now bother with that end of town anymore...
The airport is very handy for the centre of Pisa. Our chosen method of travel to get there is generally best experienced standing, pressed up against the windscreen, on an eight minute white knuckle ride on the local 'PisMover'; a hilariously named mode of transport that always brings a childish smirk when one sees the name on the front of the bus.
From here, only a few streets away lies Alessandro Della Spina, a small Italian hotel to allow us to have a night out around some of our favourite bars. The best ones that cater for the locals and have an endless supply of small plates of food that are 'gratis' if you are having a glass or two while you chat smugly about the rugby result!
The morning train towards Rome as usual was modern, spotlessly clean and left at exactly 11.12 on the dot, just as the ticket said it would! With the morning sun now shining we take our seats on the upper deck and will change at Santa Maria Novello station in Florence and continue on as far as Cortona-Terontola near to the Tuscan-Perugia border.
To the left the Tuscan hills rise up to show the snow capped peaks in the distance, full green rivers flow past near to the train line as we scoot along past vineyards and arable fields of last years sunflowers.
From here there seems to be a small holder culture where everyone seems to be tending to gardens, goats and growing vegetables in rows, each with a few hens free-ranging around the place.
Today's track is inspired by the mornings weather so you get 'Sun in the morning' by Future Islands.
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