Up Another Bell Tower...

Rob and I were wandering around and hoping to sneak into the Duomo if the lines were short. They weren't. But, we did find ourselves standing at the entrance of the Campinile (bell tower) of the Duomo and there was not a single person in line. So, we bought a ticket (5 euros) and started the climb. The tower is over 400 steps up and is a combination of narrow switch backs and occasional longer sets of straight stairs -- vastly different than Pisa. It was quite a hike, but well worth it. At the top we were rewarded with some spectacular views of the Duomo, the baptistery, as well as scenic views of the city and surrounding countryside. The climb was also a solid reminder that maybe I should be doing more running and less Irish beer drinking...okay, at least more running. :) (Editor's note: we climbed the tower about 10-11 days ago and I've run about 5 times since then -- even got Rob out for one! No comment on the Irish beer...) We've got a few duomo pictures stashed for a later post. We're saving them for after we get inside the Duomo and get some interior shots as well as shots from the top of the Duomo. In the meantime though, here are some great pics from the top of the tower...