T+08 Days: Pisa, 2nd Day and Lajatico - Bocelli Found!

Good morning!  Up early to go check-in to our flights back to the US early Monday morning, 7/26.  I'm just now in the 24hr window.

Well, that didn't go well.  Couldn't check-in at all online with Continental's code-share partner Lufthanza.  Will need to check-in at the airport in the morning prior to the flight.  I was able to check Conor into the Continental flight from Munich to Newark and get him a seat.  There appear to be no other seats for me to select - appears to be an overbooking issue with Continental.  Tried calling customer service but just couldn't.  Regardless of what number I dialed, I got a recorded Italian message saying something and then I'd get hung up on.

Never fear, Rosie's here!  E-mailed Rosie with my predicament and Conor and I headed out at 8am to go climb the leaning tower.  Will call her later to follow-up.

On our way to climb the Leaning Tower

Only took us 15mins to walk to the piazza - very empty this time of the morning!  Got great views of everything. Meandered our way over to the tower and took a seat waiting for 0830 to roll around.  Right on time the tower guards showed up, opened the gate and door to the tower, we got our tickets punched and, started the nearly 300 worn marble steps climb up to the top of the tower!

Entrance to the Piazza dei Miracoli

Tower up close - early morning

Round and round you go... things feel pretty wonky as you approach the downward leaning side of the tower and have to lean inward. The opposite happens on the upward lean side but, doesn't feel as uncomfortable.  The higher you go the closer things get.  You're allowed to climb up to the very top of the tower now-a-days, particularly since they completely re-bolstered the stability and support of the tower in the 1990's.  They've also cleaned and renovated all but 1 level - the one just below the 2 topmost viewing levels - which makes the tower quite shiny and white. To get up to the 1st viewing level, the bell level, the circumfiral steps stop and the designers built in a spiral stair case wide enough for 2 people.  Got up there no problem and spent a little time.  Once again Conor was laughing most of the way up for a variety of reasons. To climb up to the very top, the builders made another curving staircase that could fit 1 person. The steps are quite worn, as if most of the countless visitors actually descended by butt. :-)

2nd set of circular steps

Starting the climb

On top you get a phenomenal view of Pisa and the surrounding landscape. The sea out to the west, mountains to the north. Pisa's not that big or sprawling. Easy to pick out Pisa Centrale, Galileo Galilei airport, and the River Arno flowing out to the sea. Wasn't too breezy. Took a lot of photos while making sure I had 1 hand on the rail for me and 1 for the camera. Tingly feet but after awhile got somewhat used to being up there - still not my fun of choice.

Conor

Yup, on top of the Tower

Clambered down after about 20mins on top - much easier going down.

When we reached the bottom and exited, we started considering our options for how to get down to Lajatico later that afternoon. Any of the public options were fuzzy, uncertain, complicated and not easy. The public option would encompass all modes of transport: train, bus, taxi, feet. So, we made a command decision - we had to rent a car. :-) Walked back to the hotel and got a cab for 13Euros to the airport. More than we needed to pay because of the slow route the driver took - of course, we didn't know that at the time. Stopped off at the airport to see if there was a Luftanza conceirge or ticket booth in order to see about checking in early - there wasn't one. So, we went out to the free bus ride to the rental agencies - 1600meters walk from the terminal - and got a lift to the rentals.

Our Fiat PANDA

Just outside entrance to Tower

Went to Avis first, they had the least amount of people at the counter. When I told them no reservation, they said no cars, almost like they couldn't be bothered with me... chapped me a bit. Stepped right over to the next booth, the Maggiore/National Car Rental booth. They had a car, a Fiat Panda, a boxy, underpowered little thing for about 80Euros including insurance. Took it! Of course, Conor insisted on driving the 5 speed stick shift and I acquiesced because it is his trip.

Made it back to the hotel OK with just a bit of getting lost. Conor and I printed up several versions of how to successfully make the 35mile drive to Lajatico via Google Maps and Mapquest. Also, heard back from Rosie and she said she was able to get me an assigned seat on CO107 out of Munich - an aisle seat! So, stopped fretting over that. We both had a light lunch of pizza margherita and went up to the room to relax... was going to be a long evening.

Nearly there

Lost in Tuscany

Departed Grand Hotel Bonanno at 1500 for Lajatico. Jumped onto the SGC Fi-Li-Pi autostrade towards Firenze... the easy part of the trip. Took the Ponsaco exit and while reading directions, got way lost! :-) Italian road signage has a lot to be desired. Reverted back to the tried and true method of navigating - a map. Located some towns near Lajatico and started working south out of Ponsaco. Eventually saw signs for Volterra and knew we were heading in the right direction. We were hoping we were on SR439 - local Italian signage sucks!  We eventually saw a small rectangular blue sign below some other sign that we were on SR439 - there was much relief to be had in de Panda. Soon, we were seeing actual signs to Lajatico...started to relax.  About 3km outside of Lajatico, we were blockaded from going the final 3km by the police. They were setting up for the Concert.  At the point of blockade, there was a large restaurant/bar, parking lot and extended field. We pulled in there, paid 2Euro and parked.

I bought a ticket!

Bocelli, here we come!

Walked over to a pre-fab container cut out to be a temporary ticket booth for folks picking up their Bocelli tickets and to answer questions of the curious. Just by chance I started up a conversation with a young lady who sounded American in the box and casually asked if they had any spare tickets. She said it was my lucky day and said they had some. I forked over 110Euros and got better seating than Conor purchased over the internet!  His ticket was in the grandstands, Tribuna B in fact, the farthest back seating available in the Teatro de Silenzio. The ticket I purchased was in area 2, D section, seat 197 - closer by half to the stage.

Who's this?

Buses for the 3km trip to town

They were running free buses to Lajatico so we jumped on the first available.  Our bus driver must not have gotten the word  - we had arrived at 1630 (1/2 later than we should have because of getting lost) - about where he was supposed to drop folks off because he dropped us off at city centre. Lots of people and camera crews just milling around near a vailed bust of something/someone (turned out to be Andrea Bocelli but, we didn't know that at the time). Conor and I went looking for a cold beverage, found 1, and were just lolly-gagging in the small square when we heard some clapping and who strolled by??  Gina Lollobrigida!  Still looked great for her age, 83, and I snapped a photo. Conor had no idea who the former, Italian hottie was. She was undoubtedly there to hear/see Bocelli's show.

OMG!  Gina Lollobrigida... Dad was quite pumped.  :-)

Started sprinkling some - the first real rain in 8 days - and Conor convinced me to start walking the ~2km downhill to the Teatro di Silenzio with a smattering of other concert goers. Pretty walk.  All down hill bordered by local homes and orchards of olives and pear trees forming their fruit. Got near the end and stopped!  The concert volunteer/organizers were not ready to let us in. We expected to be let in by 1800 - it was about 1730 when we queued up - but they just held us up as other special access guests weaved their way through the crowd.  We did get to meet a nice, young couple from Ireland there to see the concert too. Both were in the Medical field and on vacation in Italy attending a couple of friends' weddings.  Talking with them really did make the time go by quicker.  While we were standing on the dirt road, a land rover drove slowly up and Conor, the brash young American, joking yelled "here's Bocelli", and what do you know, he was actually in the Rover!!!  I was so surprised that I missed the photo op.

Support area for the concert

Strolling down to the Teatro

Andrea Bocelli during rehearsals in White

We Found BOCELLI!!!

We were finally allowed to go in at nearly 2015!! Boy, were a lot of people chapped!

Night

Teatro de Silenzio - Day

As our tickets started to get vetted, they pulled me out of the line! Turns out that no one told the ticket gatherers at the gate entrances that they possessed and sold some non-standard looking tickets to folks who had just walked up that day - me being one. After 10mins it all got sorted out and we were through.  I gave Conor my ticket and took his - I know he appreciated it.  We only had time to get some drinks and a panini (Italian for sandwich) and started looking for our seats. I could sit anywhere in the grand stand stadium seating, so I climbed up as far as I could go in Tribuna B and copped a squat by a bunch of Italians that didn't appear to be able to or want to try speaking English. Couldn't blame them.

The organizers did a lousy job of setting up gradu/souvenir/gedunk spots. They were located way out on the wings and no way to easily get there by folks coming down out of Lajatico - unless you were seated nearby. We didn't even get a concert program or t-shirt. :-(

The concert part 2 and Bocelli singing

The concert started late, ~2110, but the performers had been practicing on stage for awhile. The Teatro is aligned with the stage facing to the west/northwest. I estimate between 5-7.5k in attendance.  There were light civil planes buzzing overhead. A Magnum PI-like helicopter dropped off several pax who apparently couldn't be bothered with the hike. :-) And, for some odd reason a dirt bike/motocross rider just kept raging around the surrounding hillsides.

Gorgeous, cool night with full moon and some clouds

When the concert started, there were 2 beautiful quarter-horses trotting around the pond at the center of the Teatro that increased to 6 for background flourish - guessing here - and there were artisans painting murals on both sides of the back part of the Teatro all through the concert. A large orchestra formally dressed and a many member choir in the back 2 rows made up the standing ensemble of performers. What a site!  Beautiful rising moon framed by wispy clouds and clear blue sky, a slight chill in the air - perfect conditions!  Wish I could remember the theme!  I thought the performances were great - all in Italian. Conor was a bit disappointed.  He wanted to hear some music in English as Bocelli's done in the past... still, I fully enjoyed the experience - even if it definitely got a bit cooler as the evening wore on.

That's me, dead center, upper right tip of left grandstand!

No one told us or we forgot to ask whether there'd be an intermission - there was. Andrea and friends played and hour, took a 30 min break, and played another hour. I really can't do justice to the creative production value of the performance but, I can tell you that I enjoyed the show and was quite pleased to have been here in Tuscany with Conor to witness something that may not happen again, ever, here in the town of Lajatico.

Show finished up at around 1145.  Conor and I did what we could to rapidly make the trek back up the hill to just outside the town centre in order to catch the 2nd bus back down to our parking area.  Even though it took us 1+30 to find Lajatico, only took us 1hr - in the dark - to get back to Pisa and the hotel. Arrived at ~0100.

What an INCREDIBLE day we had!  I need to end now and post this....

One more entry to go.
Ciao for now!