Today we left the Lakes district and set off for Pisa and Florence in Tuscany, in the south-west of the country. The morning was foggy and cool at only 12 degrees centigrade.

We arrived into Pisa (now clear skies and considerably warmer) and were driven directly to the Piazza dei Miracoli (the Square of Miracles), home to the Leaning Tower.

The Square of Miracles was proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO 25 years ago. The Square is not located in the center of the city as you might imagine. It is north-west of the fortified wall, almost out of the town. There probably wasn't enough space to use at the time the project got underway so this is the site decided upon. Since the times of the Etruscans, the three structures found in the piazza have been considered central to religious life, symbolizing the main stages of a human's life: the Baptistry represents birth; the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is life, and the Graveyard, of course, alludes to death.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is actually considered part of the cathedral since it is really its bell tower.

The square is surrounded by a beautiful green lawn where tourists and university students can lie down and relax in this amazing setting.

The name Piazza dei Miracoli, or "Square of Miracles" was given to the square after the First World War when Gabriele D'Annunzio in his work "Forse che sì, forse che no, 1910" cited it with these words: "The Ardea rotated over the sky of Christ, over the meadow of Miracles".

Construction began in the 11th century and after various changes, was completed only in the 19th century, when the architect Alessandro Gherardesca gave the square its present appearance.

The Leaning Tower has moved approximately 5 metres from its vertical axis and is clearly noticeable when aligned with other vertical buildings. Engineers have stabilized the building and for now have arrested any further lean.

The Cathedral is dedicated to St. Mary of the Assumption. This is a five-naved cathedral with a three-naved transept. The church is known also as the Primatial, the Archbishop of Pisa being a Primate since 1092.

In the Cathedral can be found some relics brought during the Crusades: the remains of three Saints (Abibo, Gamaliel and Nicodemus) and a vase that is said to be one of the jars of Cana.

The Cathedral has also tilted slightly since its construction - however not to the degree to which the Bell Tower has moved.

Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the city of over 88,332 residents (around 200,000 with the metropolitan area) contains more than 20 other historic churches, several palaces and various bridges across the River Arno.

The city is also home of the University of Pisa, which has a history going back to the 12th century. It also has other colleges of advanced studies including some purported to be the best of the best - that is, Superior Graduate Schools in Italy.

In terms of the origins of Pisa, archaeological remains from the 5th century BC confirmed the existence of a city at the sea, trading with Greeks and Gauls. The presence of an Etruscan necropolis, discovered during excavations in the Arena Garibaldi in 1991, confirmed its Etruscan origins.

After a break for lunch we left Pisa and the Square of Miracles and drove to Florence. Along the way we went through alpine areas with majestic mountain ranges, alpine highways requiring feats of engineering marvel, olive groves stretching for miles and Italy's largest 'garden nursery' - farms growing every type of tree and bush imaginable.

We arrived at our hotel in Florence late in the afternoon and immediately readied ourselves for a Tuscan Dinner.

Back on the bus on our way to our restaurant - Ristoranti Tripini (Restaurant of the Three Pines) in the Tuscan hills. Our dinner comprised wine and pastas and wine and meats and wine and dessert and more wine. To get there we travelled through the hills above Florence where the villas of the elite are secluded behind manicured gardens . We were entertained throughout our meal by local guitarists, a clarinetist and singers presenting a range of Italian classic love songs as well as some more recent standards. A brilliant night, a great meal and fantastic music.

Today's insights:

The birthplace of Pinnochio is near Florence so the little bloke is everywhere!

Genova - which we bypassed on our way - was the birthplace of Christopher Columbus.

Prized white marble, used (for example) by Michelangelo for his Statue of David, is found on the mountains to the east of Florence. The powder from this most expensive marble is used in the manufacture of toothpaste.