GO SMART | PISA
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... to fall in love with Pisa. Eoin Higgins leans towards the best of the city.
FABULOUS FOLLIES Pisa’s leaning tower is only one of several architectural beauties at the Piazza dei Miracoli. The stately Pisa cathedral and the opulent baptistry complement the world’s most beautiful architectural failure, but perhaps more impressive is the sight of hundreds of tourists trying to create photographic optical illusions with the eponymous tower.
OUTSIDER ART Painted in 1989, Tuttomondo – street artist Keith Haring’s gift to the city – is a mural occupying the south wall of the church of St Anthony. One of the rare surviving instances of his street art outside New York City, it is gorgeously graphic. Meanwhile, beautiful inside and out, the fantastic (and free) Palazzo Blu museum (palazzoblu.org), is also a sight for sore eyes – check out the Toulouse-Lautrec exhibition, which runs until February 14, 2016.
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| AERLINGUS.COM
ILLUSTRATION BY FATTI BURKE
Good Reasons
TUSCAN GATEWAY As a base for exploring the surrounding countryside, Pisa is perfectly-appointed for daytrips into the painterly scenery for which Tuscany is famous. Drink in the surreal beauty of the landscape’s poplar copses, rustic farmhouses and undulating hills. Simultaneously, get stuck into the Tuscan food and wine scene – one of Italy’s regional greats.
WALK THE WALK Pisa is ideal for walking and joining a guided stroll is a good way to make the most of the city. From intriguing historical homes, such as Galileo’s, and the building where Shelley wrote his last poem, there are lovely lesserknown streets to ramble along and admire. For a list of tour guides, visit Pisa’s tourist board website pisaunicaterra.it.
SMART FLIERS CAFÉ CULTURE Pisans, like most other Italians, love to sit and chat outside. Drinking coffee, nibbling on antipasti while discussing love, life and whoever’s gracing the gossip pages that week is an attractive proposition. An alfresco break is also a delicious opportunity for people-watching in this most attractive of cities.
AER LINGUS flies from Dublin to PISA – in the heartland of Tuscany, and one of nine Italian destinations – three times weekly starting Ma y 18, 2016. Flights are convenien tly timed to connect Aer Lin gus to New York, Boston and Ch icago.