Pisa – day 7 and 8

This was quite a rainy day in Pisa, we definitely used the rain coats that we had been carrying. We headed back to the torre pendente (leaning tower) and cathedral area to take in some indoor activities. We chose not to climb the tower as it was a cloudy day and they charge too much so we looked in the museum and cathedral instead. The museum was quite interesting as it housed many of the original artifacts, paintings, statues, gargoyles, etc. from the cathedral as it has been refurbished many times since it was built in the 11th and 12th centuries. The cathedral also is very beautiful and ornate with a particularly notable pulpit carved by a Giovani Pisano. It features some very Islamic features such as striped masonry and a griffin on the roof.
After this we ran through the pouring rain to meet our friends Katharine and Rob Whitworth at the train station, after their long flight from Calgary via Amsterdam. We helped them get to the hotel and get their bike together before going for a walk around the city and finding a good Italian supper of pasta and red wine.