HK Independent Traveller Blog

20 July 2011 It was a sunny day, the best of the 3 days in Lucca and Pisa.  The beauty of the buildings shown to its best.  We got off a station prior to the main railway station in Pisa , getting through a normal street in the town, the baptistery came in sight, became concrete and admirable.  The famous building group is situated on a lawn, white marble on the green, a soothing contrast - gorgeous! Everywhere is full of people.  All came for the leaning tower . It is really stunning.  Our attention was always on the tower and shot it from all prespectives.  Most tourists were posting as resisting / supporting the 'falling' tower or gave it a kick to accelerate the fall.  We?  We did not take such post.  It costs 17 Euro to climb the tower.  We did not but bought a 10 Euro joint ticket to appreciate the Sinopia, Duomo, baptistery, Camposanto and the cathedral museum. Frescoes can withstand time but must be pa...

16 July 2011 Lugano , largely a Swiss lake city, but under the joint influence of Swiss and Italian.  It was previously an Italian town  but took over by the Swiss since 1512.  It is now Switzerland's third most important financial centre.  Ha, HSBC erected a building in the little town centre. Apart from playing its economic role, Lugano  is also a magnet attracting tourists with beautiful parks, flowers, churches and villas. We headed from Milan to Lugano.  The journey lasted a bit more than half hour by car.  Getting away from Milan to the highway takes some time.  I forgot to take my passport.  Fortunately we were not stopped by the custom at the border.  A good start of the day. My first visit to Switzerland is 1991.  Lugano is different from my impression of Switzerland, nice country houses, green mountain and picturesque surrounding.  I don't mean it's not beautiful, but different from my impress...