Pisa post without the leaning tower of Pisa? I am here in this sleepy town of Pisa for a full three months on an Exchange programme! Having been here for just over 2 weeks, I can tell you that Pisa is a city for anyone who needs a little down time for the soul, slow paced and constantly reliable would be my choice of words for it.
The first few days I had in Pisa were spent dealing with boring administrative things, which led me to realise that Pisa goes to sleep in the afternoon between 2-4pm where shops shut their doors for a good long nap or lunch. It comes alive in the weekends when locals and tourists alike flood the narrow streets. Last weekend in particular, was a festival of sorts, Fior di Citta (Flower City) or Pisa in Fior (Pisa in Flowers), where flowers crowded every corner visible to the eye along the main street of the city. Artist painted on cardboard shaped flowers and florists/botanists sold flowers and plants along the bridge livening up. Yes, there closed of a bridge functioning as a main road to sell flowers.
Markets seem to pop up in around Pisa on Sundays, below is the work of an old Italian man who hand paints the pendants. I was so tempted to get one and might very well do so before my stay in this country expires. With old buildings that make up the city, I am so intrigued my the level of intricate detailing gone into the flesh of the walls, windows and doors. I can't imagine the amount of work that went into the building process given their lack of modern technology. As of now I have to admit I am longing for home a little too much for the Tuscan magic to sink in. It doesn't help that I am facing impending exams which I feel no motivation to prepare for. I guess coming straight from Durham, Pisa feels like the upsized version of it. A university town with an attraction based on history and architecture, not to mention everything is literally within walking distance.
I hope you enjoyed these pictures, I know they make little sense and probably a slightly poor representation of Pisa. I have not yet been able to discover my own Pisa, but I'm getting there. The homesickness is still plaguing me but I'll live.
No comments:
Post a Comment