294 Steps....Pisa, Italy

294 steps.
294 steps to the top.
294 steps to the top of one of the most well known monuments in the world.
I have to say that this is one of the biggest WOW moments for me on this journey through Italy. I never knew I could have known I would walk around a corner, through a Roman archway and there it was. In all of the pictures and stories we grow up with, you never really hear about the Baptistry and Cathedral right next to the tower.
It's just a bell tower right? It isn't the only one in Italy. Why does this one get such special attention? I mean it started to lean three stories into the construction phase because it was not put on a solid piece of land. Then it

Halfway there

 was left to sit for 200 years while the locals went to beat up everyone around them. It was that simple twist of fate that allowed to tower to settle enough to continue construction. So instead of trying to tear it down and rebuild, they decided to continue the other five stories and tilt them the oposite direction to make it seem straighter. Seems like a logical solution to the problem. (In Idaho philosophy maybe) What has been created is a structure that has captured the imagination and heart of many people from around the world.
After some work, and a good cleaning, you can now climb up to the top of the tower with an admission ticket and a specific time to get in line. So that is just what we did. After weaving through the rows of vendors and others taking the famous "pushing over the tower" picture, we made it to the base of the tower for our epic ascent.

Cathedral, Baptistry, and Tower

This is where we scan our tickets, go in the stairway and turn left. From there it is a crooked, spiraling, unbalanced climb. The walls are never more than about 3 to 4 feet wide. There are only one set of stairs so you meet climbers going up and down going sideways. The stairs and the entire tower are made of marble and the steps are worn to a polished groove in the middle. Some are bigger steps, some are smaller, and you feel like you are learning to walk all over again. Before the third turn around the tower you can definitely feel the "lean" and your balance is tested as there are no railings to hold onto. About halfway to the top, you have the chance to take a look out at the view and assess your progress. At this point, you can make the decision to stay or go to the top.

I feel bad for the guy who has to
 run up the stairs to ring these bells. 

A view from the top! 17 feet
off of center. You do feel a
little off balanced.

Well it is already a once in a lifetime opportunity, so might as well go for the gold. Returning to the stairways, we head ever upward in areas that become only shoulder width by the top.
294 steps.
294 steps to an amazing view of the Tuscan countryside. It is so worth the trip up. You can definitely see and feel the tilt of the tower. It is a 17 foot height difference from one side of the top to the other. So after this climb you almost forget what level feels like. After about 10 minutes it is time to conclude our time at the top. The next group of tourists are ready for their final climb to the top. So wibbly-wobbly down we went and as our little group of tourists descended, it was neat to hear most of us encourage those climbing up. "Almost There" and "It's Worth It" were heard ringing down the stairwells and I hope it helped to keep those brave few on the move to the top and their own view of a beautiful countryside.

Heading down for the next
adventure!

The day was good. The sites were amazing. We survived the Autostrada in our little Fiat to get there and in short it was worth every minute. So now I can officially say yes I have seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I can also say I have been inside it and up to the top of it and nobody can take that away from me.
What an awesome opportunity. What a testament to human ingenuity and to the people of Pisa to continue to build on a less than perfect base. Aren't we all a little less than perfect anyway? Just because we aren't perfect doesn't mean we don't have our own beauty and worth to grow and be stronger.
So I hope this tower stays standing for many years to come. Just the way it is. It gives me hope and is a visible reminder for me to settle and just be me. I have not been perfect every day of my life but there is still beauty inside me. Thank you Pisa for that big lesson.