Pisa, Genoa, and ferry ride

Hola from Barcelona! This is a beautiful city with a fantastic mix of Gothic and Modern styles. The people are friendly and easy going and our hotel (in a suburb called Sabadell) is very comfortable.

Before we got here though, we said goodbye to Italy with a drive through Tuscany and Liguria. First we stopped at Pisa, where we saw the famous Leaning Tower. The architecture was stunning. We were reminded by our tour guide Urano (named for the planet, Uranus) that the main building in Pisa was never intended to be the tower. Poor planning by the building's first architect caused it to sink into the soft soil as it got taller. Later architects corrected that mistake, saving the building from total collapse and causing the non-uniform slope. But, because of that first mistake, Pisa became famous, so all the locals are thankful for the soft soil they walk on every day.

The central buildings in Pisa's main square include a baptistery (with the red tile roof) and the cathedral (famous for it's moorish-influenced striped marble and pointed arches), and of course, the bell tower. After a tour of all three, we had some free time to see the city and to eat lunch.

When we left Pisa, we drove through Tuscany to the coast. On the way we passed the Carrara marble quarry, the place where all of the marble in Michelangelo's statues came from. After a few hours driving trough the mountains, we arrived in Genoa. It's a city with a real maritime feel, full of contrasting styles and an edgy street scene. It also has a world-famous aquarium, that many of the students chose to visit before we boarded the ferry.

We all stopped in a grocery store to stock up on chocolate and salami before we got on board. The ferry ride was fantastic. Most of the kids danced in the lounge for a few hours before sleeping. Once we arrived in Barcelona, we had some time to get used to the hotel. A few of us went by subway into the city center for a short walk. Tomorrow will be a big day: Bus tour in the morning, then hours of free time (beaches, Picasso Museum, shopping, etc...), then dinner, then either a Flamenco dance show or a stroll on Las Ramblas.

The Internet connection is very slow tonight, so I'll only post five photos (it's already 1 a.m. and I have waited over an hour for the first 5 to upload). I will post more once I get a faster connection.

JVH