David's Diary: Monday, June 17, 2002

Back To Pisa

After our busy trip to Florence we spent yesterday sleeping in, reading, and enjoying the sun. Jocelyn and I had a few things we wanted to get in Pisa, so shortly after lunch we took the bus into town. But when we got there we found that all of the stores were closed and the streets deserted. At first we thought that we had just forgotten about the mid-afternoon closing. We are still not used to shops closing from 1:30 to 4:00 PM every day, but it is normal in Italy.

Candy, Candy, Candy

We did find an Internet Cafe and did an update to our Web site. We then visited Camp dei Miracoli and the Leaning Tower once more. As we were leaving Camp dei Miracoli we stumbled upon a huge street market. It turns out that today is a major holiday in Pisa, which is why all the stores are closed. Crowds of people were strolling the street, taking in the market, shopping, eating, and enjoying themselves. Jocelyn and I followed the crowds to see what else was going on.

Celebration

We followed along and crossed the Arno River on Ponte di Mezzo, but were stopped just at the end of the bridge. A procession started approaching the large square on the other side of the bridge. Today is the Regata Storica di San Ranieri, a rowing competition commemorating the city's patron saint. The rowers were not out yet, but there was clearly a large ceremony to celebrate the day.

Flags

After people dressed in costume had passed us by a large group of men and women carrying flags entered the square. They danced in an elaborate set of movements, swinging and throwing their flags. The drummers played on and we got to watch as the flags were thrown higher and higher into the air. As the major came on to give a speech (city ceremonies are the same everywhere), Jocelyn and I took our leave to find the bus station and return to Marina di Pisa and Dragonsinger. We may not have got our shopping done, but we did have a fascinating afternoon in Pisa.