Today we went to Pisa on the train, it was quite an experience. The Livorno port is difficult to walk out of and into the city central, so we took a Taxi with another couple. We purchased train tickets for our ultimate destination, Lucca, a large walled city north of Pisa. However, our first stop was Pisa, which is on the way to Lucca, and uses the same trains and train tickets as traveling to Lucca. The Regional Train tickets are great, you can go and stop along the way as long as you get to the final destination within 6 hours of first using (validating) your ticket.
We trained to Pisa San Rossore Station first, and walked to the Leaning Tower.
We picked up our tickets for the pre-reserved 9:30 AM climb to the top of the tower. It was very interesting, it really leans more than pictures make it look.
We spent 30 minutes on the climb, pictures at the top and descent. We then walked back to the Pisa San Rossore Train Station for the rest of the journey to Lucca. Our only disappointment was some scaffolding erected on the outside of the tower itself, definitely a detraction from the overall beauty of the sight.
We walked the elevated mound around most of the city, then ventured down into the older area where the shops and restaurants were located. We went into a couple of old churches and they were beautiful, although a couple were in need of major repairs.
We walked back to the train station for our journey back to Livorno, where our ship was docked.