After a long, tiring day in Rome, we spent a lazy morning on the ship. We also wanted to make sure Jacob got a good morning nap. As soon as Jacob woke up, we ate a quick lunch on the Lido deck and headed out. That day, the ship was docked in Livorno. From there, the suggested excursions were Pisa (about 30 minutes away) or Florence (about an hour away). We headed to Pisa! To get there, we first had to take the port shuttle to the middle of town. From there, we had to get on the number 1 bus, to the train station. Then, take a train to Pisa. And finally, either walk 30 minutes, or take another bus to the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
-Port Shuttle- no big deal
-Bus to train station- absolutely PACKED (thank goodness the Pages let us borrow their umbrella stroller for the day, because there is no way we could have gotten on the bus with our big stroller).
-Train to Pisa- we missed the first available train to Pisa by mere minutes, but only had to wait about 5 minutes for the next train.
Hanging out on the ac, drinking a bottle on a train in Italy. That is how Jacob rolls.
-Now, to get to the tower... It was really hot, and the idea of walking 30 minutes didn't really appeal to us. But, then again, after feeling like sardines on the last bus we took, the thought of getting on another bus didn't sound great either. As we were looking at a map trying to weigh our options, we heard some people behind us discussing the price of these 4 person bicycle things. Hmm, interesting. I asked one of the guys (thinking he was the owner), but it turned out that he and a friend had rented two to carry their families and all of their luggage from their hotel to the train station. Now, that they dropped off the wives, kids, and bags, they were looking for some people to help them pedal them back to the rental place (which just happened to be by the tower). We quickly jumped into the deal, and 5 minutes later, with Jacob strapped in between us on the back seat, we were off! (well, we were off at the speed of a slowly pedaling bike). In my mind, I was picturing this gentle ride on a bike path. I was wrong. We were pedaling down the middle of the road. Anyone who has ever driven (or ridden) on a road in Italy, knows how insane the Italians are when you put them behind a wheel. My stomach was in my throat as cars and mopeds wizzed passed us, and the pavement was rushing underneath. I couldn't believe that I was such a careless mother that I didn't even stop to consider the fact that we were completely unprotected in this contraption if we were to be hit, and the little lap belt would do nothing to keep Jacob from falling under... the thought of all that could happen was just too much! I know this was probably a little dramatic, but it honestly scared me. Luckily, there was nothing to fear, we all arrived safe and sound.
Our bicycles.
By then, it was time to head back to the ship. This time, we opted for a bus back to the train station. Back on the train, back on the bus to the center of town, and then in line for the port shuttle. This is where things got a little dicey. The crowds of people waiting to get on the shuttle were insane. We were in the front of the line and as we were about to get on, the driver motioned for me to go put the stroller in the compartment under the bus. This meant I had to get out of line. Thank goodness Matthew had Jacob, and thank goodness another guy was beside him, and realizing how hard people were shoving, helped Matthew shield Jacob as they moved forward to get onto the bus. Now, I am not usually one to be very aggressive in a crowd, but I quickly realized that after putting the stroller away, I might not get on the bus. I had to push far above my comfort level, but there was no way I wasn't getting on that bus with my baby! Shew! Not a great moment for the human race, it was horrible to see the way people were acting.
Back on the ship, the livin' was easy again. We even had time to hang out at the pool for about an hour before dinner.
The pool was perfect for Jacob because the water was only a few inches deep around the whole edge. Jacob could crawl around and splash.
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