Today we tasted a little piece of Pisa and it was good. The morning was foggy as we caught an early train to Pisa Centrale Station, but it soon cleared to reveal a clear sunny day. On arrival we stopped for a warming cappuccino before tracking down the famous tower and, although the froth was beautifully adorned with chocolate dusted designs, we were ripped off. It was the most expensive dishwater we had tasted, but even so, it could not put a dampener on our day.

We set off with great anticipation. This is not my first time here, but I knew I was going to be just as gobsmacked as I was on my previous visits. On the way we stopped to admire the gorgeous little church of Santa Maria della Spina which sits beside the Arno and houses a precious relic, namely a thorn from the crown of thorns worn by Jesus. We crossed the nearby bridge over the river which was very brown and swiftly flowing from recent heavy rain. And then we approached it.

That first glimpse of the Leaning Tower caused us to gasp, just as it does to everyone, every time. It is still leaning, still gleaming. Its white marble looks especially pristine against a beautiful blue sky, and set in the green grassy Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles) with the Cathedral and Baptistry, it is truly a magnificent sight. We drank it in and enjoyed being able to roam and explore leisurely with hardly any other tourists around.

Begun in 1173, it is only due to the massive efforts of engineers that it still stands. The treacherous mix of sand and clay, 40 metres deep, caused not only the tower to lean, but also the Duomo, the Baptistry and several other bell towers throughout the town. On my first visit the tower was closed to climbers; on my second visit I climbed it, but it was surrounded by scaffolding as it was still being cleaned. In April 2011 work was complete and for the first time in 20 years it could be viewed free of scaffolding. This is how we saw it today, dazzling white like a delicately decorated tier of a wedding cake.

On Tony's first visit it had also been closed to the public, so he was thrilled to climb it today. Only 40 people are allowed up at any one time, but tourists are so few at the moment that I think there were maybe 20 in our lot. We climbed the 300 stairs spiraling around its hollow core and emerged to a clear and breath-taking view of the surrounding area. The 7 bells at the top encircling the floor are quite beautiful, and each play a note of the scale, though no one knows why there are only 7 and not 8.

Next we entered the Baptistry and had the place to ourselves. Silence is required, but even a whisper resounds gloriously due to the amazing acoustics. The famous Pisan scientist, Galileo was baptised here in 1246. After climbing more stairs to the gallery where we got a good overview we moved on to the Camposanto.

Again we had this hauntingly beautiful place mostly to ourselves. The resting place for many prominent Pisans is a huge building arranged around a garden in a cloistered quadrangle. Soil shipped from the Holy Land during the crusades was spread here and is reputed to reduce cadavers to skeletons within days. Beautiful frescoes adorn the walls, but sadly many were destroyed by artillery during WWII.

Finally we entered the Duomo, the magnificent cathedral which was begun in 1064. We enjoyed the hushed calm and beauty of its interior before bursting back into the brilliant sunshine and taking a hundred more photos which will fail to truly capture the awesomeness of this beautiful place.

Pisa, however, is much more than the tower. We strolled through it medieval streets, enjoyed a late lazy lunch on Via Cavour, and then caught a late afternoon train back to Florence. I am so grateful that we got to visit on such a beautiful day with no crowds. We savoured the slowness of the day, enjoying every mouthful. Pisa is delicious.