Art, Faith & Fashion Trip - Pisa

Our train for Pisa was from Roma Termini station at 9.57 AM so we had decided to leave hotel at 8.30 AM. To reach city center we had to take a bus for Cornelia station and from there take a metro for Roma Termini station. As luck would have had it we were late by couple of minutes and missed the bus. We were waiting for the next bus but as it was a Sunday the service was less frequent. The crowd at the bus stand also started building up. As minutes ticked we were getting worried. Since the camping village is in outskirts of the city it was difficult to get any other mode of transport. It was already 9.15 and it seemed we would never make it to station in time. The whole day would be ruined. One of my friends started racing up and down the bus stand. Just then I saw a taxi speeding by, without thinking anything else I hailed it. Luckily it was empty and the driver was more than willing to take us to the station. He told us that it would take about 30 minutes to reach station as traffic was comparatively less. We told him about our urgency. He was a nice man, took a few short cuts and dropped us at station within 20 minutes. We gave him some extra for his efforts. At that moment he was god sent for us as finding an empty taxi in Rome is very rare phenomenon. We rushed to the station and found the train to be waiting at the platform. We quickly grabbed some breakfast and settled down in our seats.

The train passes through some of the main cities in Tuscany region. This region has some of the most picturesque countryside in Italy. There were lush green hills on one side and the blue Mediterranean Sea on the other side. The sights out of the train window were a visual treat. We didn’t realize how quickly 3 hours went by. We reached Pisa by 1 pm. The leaning tower is walkable distance (about 2 kms) from the station. Though there are buses called RED LAM (LAM Rosso) which can be availed to reach the tower if you are in a hurry. We wanted to explore the city so we walked. While walking through the streets we did what most tourists do. Click pictures!!

While researching on the internet we learned about a superb Indian restaurant named ‘Namaste India Ristorante’. And the time was just right for lunch so we walked into the restaurant. Just have a look at the menu in the picture above!

Thanks to Mr. Velupandian Devar (owner of Namsate India) for his suggestions and help. We enjoyed the food very much. Actually we packed our dinner too.

To read the entire story of the trip please visit Art, Faith & Fashion Trip - Pisa.

We had come to know about this place while researching about places to eat in Pisa. Then read some great reviews in tripadvisor. We visited this place last week and must say the reviews were all correct. The food was great. The owner Mr.Velupandian Devar was simply superb to talk with. He narrated stories about some of his exciting experiences in food business. Namaste India ristorante is located close to Pisa Centrale staion. Actually we walked there from station and then walked up to the tower. Overall a authentic place to eat Indian place. You may give this place a try if you are in Pisa.

Had read about the legendary tower in childhood history books. Then to actually stand in front of the leaning tower was certainly thrilling. We had booked the entry into the tower in advance. They gave a small presentation about the tower before we took the 300 odd steps to the summit. and once on top the views of the city was worth the effort. Visit this place for its history and the legend.The tower could be reached either by a bus from Pisa centrale station or one can stroll through the narrow lanes of Pisa. After going around the buildings around the complex we relaxed a bit on grass lawn in front of the statue of 'Fallen angel'.