David's Diary: Wednesday, June 12, 2002

Pisa Part II

After a morning touring we headed away from Campo dei Miracoli to find a restaurant for lunch. We thankfully sunk into our restaurant chairs and enjoyed an Italian lunch. Suitably refreshed, we wandered the streets until we came upon Orto Botanico, the botanical garden of the University of Pisa. The gardens are open to the public and we spent a pleasant half hour enjoying the shade of tall trees and the brightness of the growing flowers.

Baptistery

It was only a short walk before we were back at Campo dei Miracoli, ready to explore more of its sights. We entered the Baptistery and viewed the bottom level before climbing the stairs and making a complete circle as we walked around the Baptistery. Every few minutes a tour group would enter and the tour guide would sing near the center of the Baptistery. The sound was crystal clear as the natural acoustics of the Baptistery amplified the voices, which carried effortlessly to where we were on the second level.

Cemetery

Our final stop for the day was the Camposanto, the burial ground begun in 1277, but not completed until the 15C. During the Second World War, much of the roof was destroyed. Much of the frescoes were also destroyed, but many of the statues still remain. After so much touring, we were all getting tired so we stopped in the shade of the original town walls and enjoyed the grassy field. One of the things I didn't realize that I really missed was grass. So prevalent in Vancouver, it is a rare sight in European parks, and Pisa let us sink our toes into the greenery and think of Canada while we took in the ancient sights that we enjoyed today.