Day 8: Pisa and then north p

Day 8 – Pisa, Mountains & a Taste of Bologna

We began the day with a short drive into Pisa, parking up for a 15-minute walk to the famous Leaning Tower and cathedral. Despite the drizzle, we spent a couple of hours wandering the site—admiring the grandeur of the cathedral and then climbing the 251 spiralling steps to the top of the tower, rewarded with sweeping views over the city.

From Pisa, we took the scenic mountain route towards Bologna, stopping first at Bagni di Lucca for a pizza lunch and a gentle stroll down to the river. Our next stop was Abetone, a quiet ski resort still in its off-season slumber, but worth a wander and a few photos in the crisp mountain air.

En route, we were briefly pulled over by the police for a routine paperwork check—all in order—so with friendly holiday wishes, we continued down into the foothills around Formica, passing cherry orchards and fruit farms. We couldn’t resist stopping for some fresh strawberries and tomatoes.

A sat nav hiccup took us straight through the centre of Bologna, but we eventually made it to camp, tucked in for the night with a plate of Bologna Bolognese, and called it a day.Read more