Leaning Tower of Pisa - Pisa, Italy

“Is this whole town is leaning?” 

That was my first thought upon setting foot in Pisa. For some reason, my photos kept coming out at weird angles regardless of how I positioned my camera. (And, sure, we had spent the morning at a vineyard in Chianti before heading there, but I promise you it had nothing to do with that.) There are some hills in the area and, with the subject of my photo standing at an angle, it wasn’t easy to capture a good shot.

So, why is the Leaning Tower of Pisa leaning? 

The leaning is due to the soft soil under the tower. In fact, the tower started leaning from the moment construction began. As soon as the builders reached the third floor of the tower they began to notice something funny going on, the building seemed to bend at an angle. Construction of the tower then stopped. 

Construction started and stopped again several times before the tower was finished. It took almost 200 years to build due to multiple pauses caused by wars, lack of funds and by the engineers trying to figure out how to stop it from leaning.

According to research, it is thanks to these multiple pauses that the tower was able to settle in the foundation and didn’t flat out collapse to one side immediately.

Since the tower was completed in the 1300s, the inclination continued to increase at a rate of about 0.05 inches each year. By 1990 the risk of collapse was imminent so the tower was closed to visitors and engineers once again tried to stabilize it. With the help of modern technology, they were able to remove ground from one side allowing the tower to straighten. 

It is believed that the sediments have settled under the tower and that it will be safe for the next 200 years.

The tower reopened to the public in 2001 and today welcomes over 1,000,000 visitors each year. 

If you plan on visiting during the summer months, like I did, prepare to be waiting in a crazy long line to climb to the top. I chose to see it from the ground and enjoyed it a fair amount. The best part of it is to play around by taking fun pictures.

Fun poses to try:

• Make it look like you’re leaning against the tower

• Get a waffle cone and put it underneath, so that the tower looks like the ice cream

• Make it look like you’re kissing the tower

• Holding up the tower with your fingers

 

Useful info:

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the bell tower for the Cathedral next to it, so you can buy tickets to visit both.

Tickets are timed, so make sure you’re there on time.

Ticket Prices:
Tower: 18 Euro per person
Visiting the Cathedral is free!

Lido di Ostia - Rome, Italy

The Coliseum, the Spanish Steps, the Vatican. These are the first things that come to mind when you think of visiting Rome. And that’s just it. Everyone thinks of visiting these popular cultural sights on their Roman holiday and they end up becoming so crowded that it’s hard to enjoy them.

On my last trip to Italy, I had a spare night in Rome as I made my way back from Venice to New York. Instead of staying near the city center, I decided to stay near Fiumicino Airport. What a surprise it was to discover Ostia. 

Ostia is a neighborhood of Rome bordering on the Tyrrhenian Sea. This is where the Romans come when they want a quick beach escape. It’s also a popular getaway for the long summer holiday.

We ventured out of our hotel in search of dinner that same night. We walked to Piazza Anco Marzio, where palm trees flanked the long pedestrian street. The area was bustling with locals sitting outside and enjoying the different restaurants. 

We decided to go for Italian food (of course!) and it was the most authentic Italian food we had during our entire two-week trip. The restaurant was Antico Traiano, a good spot for late night dinners and seafood.The menus are printed to look like large newspapers covered in the history of the restaurant as well as a long list of tasty dishes.

The house wine was served by the carafe and the gnocchi were al dente. We also had grilled calamari, clam pasta and fried seafood. Everything tasted as good as if it has been prepared at home by an Italian grandma. 

The next morning we had breakfast included with our hotel and after filling our bellies with fresh fruits, eggs, cheese, yogurt and honey (which we spooned directly from a honeycomb) we decided to take a look at the town during the day time.

We explored the Pontile di Ostia, a small pier that goes out into the ocean with an observation deck at the end. The fresh breeze stroke our faces while the sun shone above. It was great to see people sunbathing and swimming. These were locals and this is where they came to vacation.

Kids played on a rock formation in the water to our right, while the statue of Neptune stood guard. On our left, bathers arrived to the Battistini where they rented beach chairs and umbrellas for their beach day.

As we walked back to our hotel to pick up our luggage a feeling of relaxation washed over us. There was simply no better way to end our Italian getaway than in this off-the-beaten-path location.

 

Useful information:

Where to stay?
Fly Deco Hotel
Address: Lungomare Paolo Toscanelli 52a, 00122 Lido di Ostia Italy

Where to eat?
Antico Traiano

Where to beach?
Battistini Beach

Hotel Il Pellicano - Porto Ercole, Italy

“This must be what it feels like to be George Clooney.”

That was my first thought upon arriving at the Hotel Il Pellicano. 

We drove for two hours from Rome to the peninsula of Monte Argentario. An island-like comune connected to the mainland by three strips of land. The narrow road wound around one steep hill after another. As we took each turn, I couldn’t help but picture small Italian cars zooming uphill the way they do in the movies. 

We parked at the hotel garage and were received with the warm smiles of the hotel staff. They didn’t care we weren’t celebrities. We still felt the VIP treatment. (Even though we were an hour late for our lunch reservation.)

Il Pellicano was a pitstop on our journey from the capital to the Chianti region. It was a place to decompress for a few hours while enjoying the beautiful Italian coastline. And that’s exactly what we did. 

As we descended onto the terrace, the view from the top of the cliff was breathtaking. Below us the terrace continued to cascade sharply onto the Tyrrhenian Sea. 

At the edge of the cliff, a set of stairs and an elevator await to bring you down safely from the summit to the beach at sea level. 

We ordered lunch at the hotel’s Tuscan Grill. Fritto misto, spaghetti with clams, and my favorite dessert: affogato. The food was delicious, but it was the view that created a real feast for the eyes. 

As I explored the venue, I noticed that their main restaurant Il Pellicano received one Michelin Star for 2019.

The Hotel Il Pellicano is one of those incredible hidden gems that I can only hope to visit again.

 

Useful information:

Tuscan Grill Summer Hours:

Lunch: 12:30pm - 2:30pm

Dinner: 7:30pm - 10pm

Address: Località Sbarcatello, 58019 Porto Ercole GR, Italy

Book a table: https://www.hotelilpellicano.com/en/dining/booking-pelligrill/

Contact: info@pellicanohotel.com

Website: https://www.hotelilpellicano.com/