Down Low and then Up High. Snorkeling and The Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Written 13^th May 2012.

This morning we had a snorkel at Riomaggiore and saw a few fishies. It was quite cold floating around in the sea. I had a refreshing swim afterwards. And ended up with a massive afro that Steve chuckled about all day! Here's a photo from above Riomaggiore.

Next, we drove to Pisa and it poured with rain.

We found a campsite and got a cabin for the night 10 minutes walk away from the Leaning Tower of Pisa and strolled on down there. It really is on a big lean. It's real name is the Campanile. Bonanno Pisano began building it in 1173 but he built it on some shifting soil and it began leaning almost straight away. Only 3 of it's 7 tiers were built before it started leaning. It kept tipping 1mm a year until 1990 when it was too far over (5.5 degrees). So they used weights and drilling to stabilise it which they completed by 1998. (They were doing that in 1994 when we came so we could not go up.) It is a funny thing to walk up because as you go around and around you tilt from side to side – depending on what side of the tower you are on. It is very noticeable.

There are also hollows polished out of the stone from the centuries of feet treading up and down the tower. It makes the steps a bit slippery. The polished bits change the side of the step depending which side of the tower you are on too.

At the top are some bells. Not sure if they have ever rung because they would be too tilted. The tower is nearly 4.1m off the perpendicular.

We admired the view at the top and then tilted our way back to the bottom and left feeling a little off balance!