Hi Marycang, not sure if you have come across Zeppole before but he/she is EXTREMELY opinionated. Zeppole often gives extremely good advice and has obviously travelled extensively, but heaven help anyone who disagrees. You've been warned!! ;)

I think it is extremely elitist to dismiss other posters opinions as though they are worth nothing, but Zeppole doesn't seem to mind doing this on a regular basis.

I agree with you that David is unmissable. David and the Pieta in St Peter's are the two art works I've seen that have reduced me to tears.

Excuse me, Cathies, but Marycang isn't an "elitist" for describing Pisa as "a loser."

Marycang is shouting at someone who has never been to Pisa that they shouldn't go. Mind if I point out that apparently Marycang has no clue whatsoever what she was looking at while she was there. She's been to the Campo dei Miracoli and is now begging for me to tell her what it was she missed in Pisa that other people have seen.

Were I first time traveler to Italy who knew anything at all about art, I wouldn't give much credit to that artistic sensibility.

Many people have posted on Fodor's that they think David is unmissable. I just think they are wrong to try to impose their art sentimentality -- and that is what a lot of what this is -- on other travelers with limited time. I think THAT's elitist, no? ("David is unmissable." Really? What if I'd rather go buy gloves in Florence? Or eat lunch -- which seems to be Marycang's only other thrill in Tuscany?)

If you've only cried over two art works in your entire life, maybe art isn't really your strong suit.

cathies,

that first sentence in my above post was a question and needed a question mark. I'm just puzzled why you think Marycang's dismissal of Pisa isn't "elitist."

oh-- and by the way cathies, I tend to have the feeling that if marycang traveled more or posted more often, we'd see her dismissing and deriding other people's opinions quite loudly and regularly, as she has done here.

I'm just taken aback you want to support her behavior and pretend it's principle or virtue. It's really not good travel advice to tell people that there isn't anything worthwhile to see in Pisa, or that David is the most important thing in Firenze for everybody (that's just laughable), and pointing that out isn't "elitist."

And to anybody else reading this thread who doesn't know my posts:

Far from being an "elitist", I am one of the few posters on Fodor's who constantly encourages travelers to Europe to do the things THEY most enjoy while vacationing, and to ignore the constant prodding to go to museums and other famous sightseeing. In the face of all sorts of posters here who INSIST that people may not go to Eurodisney, or MUST go to see Michaelangelos, I tell them it's their money and their trip and they should ignore such advice -- mainly given by people whose feel for art is questionable to say the least.

Humpf. Elitist my fanny.

marycang,

I live on the Italian riviera. I don't have any business connections to Pisa. But I recognize it as having some of the finest architectural treasures in Europe, and am always happy to re-visit them.

Wondering if I was perhaps being too subjective about Pisa or exaggerating, I just fetched my Michelin Green Guide to Italy to see what it said about a visit to Pisa.

I quote:

"Piazza del Duomo (Campo dei Miracoli): In and around this famous square (also knows as the Field of Miracles) are four buildings which form one of the finest architectural complexes in the world."

Hmmm. And elitist me only said "finest in Europe."

I will drop this, but I am peeved that when I arrived in this thread, the original poster -- who confessed to really having no idea what was feasible -- was being given train and itinerary misinformation by people who were giving no consideration of her luggage or how much time she had in Rome. Several of us who aren't cruise ship excursionists tried to figure out what might work best for the OP -- and Marycang kept coming back to be insulting to everybody, and then to be backed up by cathies.

I'm not the one being unhelpful or inflexible here.

First get train times from Pisa to Rome, Pisa to Florence and Florence to Rome. Then take the earliest train possible to Pisa.


Take a taxi to Field of Miracles. If you wish to climb the tower make a reservation online beforehand. The Duomo is spectacular-try to not miss it.

Decide now what makes the most sense. Take a leisurely lunch in Pisa, or grab something on the street and go to Florence or just head to Rome and make Flo a trip from Rome.

If you have time to go to Florence take a taxi to its Duomo and have a gander at it and the Baptistery and its doors. Walk to Piazza della Signoria and Ponte Vecchio. If it's later in the day and you can make the last Rome train, take taxi to see David-you might get lucky crowd-wise. You can reserve online for David I think but how do you decide what time?

Let your Rome hotel know that you might be a late check-in! When you ask for advice on this forum, you WILL get it. Guess it goes without saying that what one wants to see can be such a personal choice. Many many tours only give Pisa a half-day and I think you can see the small area where tower is in that time. Florence's places of interest to most tourists are just too many, too large and too far apart to do in even 3 days IMHO. Do write a report about your travels!

PS-Hiring a car and driver for the day would be perfection for this!

Hi Zeppole, Your travel info is always very solid but I was a bit shocked that you just dismissed the other posters help as 'woefully poor advice'. Everyone here is trying to help, you included.

How funny that you mentioned gloves in particular. I have two pairs of gloves that I've bought in Florence on two separate trips. I bought one pair in the markets and another pair at a store in Florence. I love them both, however, I don't get to wear them too often as I live in Sydney which only has a short winter. If the markets in Florence are a tourist rip off then so be it, the gloves I bought there are still better value for money than any I've bought in Sydney for the same price.

If the poster does decide to see David then we found that by waiting until about 5pm the queue was very short and we only waited about 10 mins. Accademia is open until about 7pm and that is plenty of time to see David and some of the other pieces in that gallery.

Happy Easter to all!

(and by the way cathies, I tend to have the feeling that if marycang traveled more or posted more often, we'd see her dismissing and deriding other people's opinions quite loudly and regularly, as she has done here). A quote from Zeppole.

I am sorry that I offended you my saying that Pisa was a loser (very bad choice of a word)I should have said that Firenze has much more to offer than Pisa. Even according to your posting of all the things you think are important to see in Firenze.
I am sorry that you think that I have not posted or traveled more. Did you check my postings?

Pisa or Florence, not both in one day.

Pisa is a lovely city, a quite ordinary (in the best sense) Ialian town with the ludicrously beautiful Campo dei Miracoli suddenly appearing. Walk from the station, the walk is less than half an hour and will bring you right through the city, over the river, and then the joy of the sudden surprise appearance of the Tower, Duomo and Baptistry. Visit the Baptistry, it is very beautiful, and from time to time the attendant goes into the centre and sings a note a number of times, to demonstrate the extraordinary acoustics.

I don't particularly like Florence as a city, but David and the other sculptures in the Accademia are definitely worth seeing, David is magnificent and not at all as familiar as you might expect. The Uffizi Gallery is relatively small and manageable, and has some works that should not be missed, just decide what you want to see and visit those rooms. You should try to book online for either or both of these, or you may not get in.

Enjoy your trip. My next trip is to Pisa and Monterosso. Any tips on the Cinqueterre and Monterosso?