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Italy 2025 - Day Two 9/15/25

Today we embodied the "work hard, play hard" philosophy to the fullest. After a much needed rest and breakfast at our hotel, we boarded the bus for a short trip to Pisa. As some may know, busses are not able to navigate the roads leading to the piazza, so we disembarked the bus and boarded a vintage tram to make our way to this most impressive UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Campo dei Miracoli is a walled area and one of the most stunning squares in the world.  Featuring lush green lawns the Piazza is home to three structures symbolizing the main stages of human life; the Pisa Baptistery (the largest of its kind in Italy), the Pisa Duomo, (a medieval Roman Cathedral and one of the most impressive in Tuscany), and the Camposanto (a cemetery built in 1277). Perhaps the most recognizable buildings in the Piazza is the Leaning Tower of Pisa, a free standing bell tower which is actually part of the cathedral.

After enjoying some free time to explore the area on our own, we boarded the tram which took us back to our bus and headed to Lucca, birthplace of Italian composer, Giacomo Puccini. Lucca is famous for its cobblestone streets and well-preserved ancient city walls. Highlights of our visit to Lucca were some time at the Duomo di San Martino, as well the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, which was built on the ruins of an ancient Roman Amphitheater. 

After leaving Lucca, we traveled to Fattoria il Poggio, a Agritourism Farm, which embodies the spirit of sustainability.  We set off on a lively tour of the vineyard and olive grove, learned about the process of harvesting grapes and olives, as well as wine making and olive oil production.  After our tour we indulged in a magnificent wine and olive oil tasting topped off by a traditional home-cooked Italian dinner.  A good time, which included a birthday celebration for our trip documentarian, Kathy Pietrasik '76, and some dancing.  A good time was had by all!





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