Pisa, with a population of almost 90,000, sits on the Arno, a river highly scenic in spots. The sunset scene you see was taken on our approach to Pisa.

It’s hard to say how famous Pisa would have been without its renowned tower. But who knows, Pisa might have dug up a spare ‘r’ somewhere and with a little reorganization become another Paris.

A coterie of Italian radicals would have us believe that the whole universe leans while the grand Tower stands dead straight. Astronomical data sent by the Hubble telescope, still under analysis, may yet prove that assertion.

The tower is constructed primarily of marble, but my personal impression of the tower as seen from a distance is that it gives more the appearance of fine lace. This is a fine tribute to such artistry of construction of those times, quite prevalent in Europe, that could give such a soft feel to a material that is essentially harder than almost all others we encounter on a daily basis.

Less famous than the Leaning Tower but also quite impressive is the Piazza del Duomo, or Cathedral Square. The cathedral itself and the Pisa Baptistry dominate the plaza, the latter being a short but distinctive round structure with a red, somewhat skullcap-like roof that eventually comes to a point.