Conquering Giants (Tuscany Days 3-5)

We almost miss our train to Pisa. 

We get a late start and so we RUN 1.5 miles to the train station in Sieci. 

Now, for my husband or I, or even Madi, this wouldn't be too big a deal. But just imagine our entire family loaded down with backpacks for the day, CJ riding on my husband's back, and me carrying a folded stroller...all of us running on a dirt and gravel trail through the Tuscan hillside. Olive branches whip my arms. We yell encouragement and threats: "You can do it!" Or "We're not going to Pisa if we miss the train!"

Sweat trickles down my back. 

As with most things in life, the result of the run is well worth the required effort. We catch the train and enjoy a scenic hour ride to Pisa.

The first time we see the tower of Pisa we are walking down a narrow street. The tower leans in our line of vision toward the buildings on the left of the street. And all of us say almost as once, "It really leans!"

.

We take the necessary pictures. And then sit on the incredibly green lawn, in the shade of cypress trees, and laugh as others pose.

At the recommendation of a friend who recently had visited Pisa, we purchase tickets to climb to the top. My husband takes the twins first, and I take the big girls second. CJ, who doesn't reach the age requirement, is happy to stay on the ground to watch and wave.

It is a strange sensation to climb up a leaning tower. I place my hand against the cool stone wall to steady myself. My sandals slip on the marble stairs, which dip in the center and are worn smooth from hundreds of years of climbing feet. I fight vertigo - the height of the tower combined with the lean sends my sensory perception into a dizzy spin.

But the view from the top is worth every step. And I can't help but smile at the accomplishment. 

The Gelato in Pisa at La Bottega del Gelato just across the river is our favorite (and cheapest) in all of Italy. Conveniently located on our way to the train station, we reward ourselves (twice) with large helpings. I have watermelon and raspberry. 

The next day we return to Florence to see David. The children and I studied Michelangelo for a few months leading up to our trip. So we are all anxious to see one of his masterpieces.

David stands in an alcove in the Accademia Galleria. Soft filtered light rests on him so that the marble almost glows. I have a tearful moment as I circle David with my children and we marvel together at the perfection. How can stone look soft like skin? The veins on his hands, arm, and neck, so lifelike. 

I know I am looking at a masterpiece. 

Michelangelo carved David when he was only 26 years old. The piece of marble he used had been sitting, abandoned in a courtyard of the cathedral workshop. Numerous sculptors had attempted to make something of it, even Leonardo da Vinci was consulted, but it was never finished. It was nicknamed "The Giant."

To me, the significance of the Michelangelo's creation is partly in the success where others had failed or given up. The irony of making David out of "The Giant," to me, is beautifully poetic. 

CJ sleeps in her stroller through most of our time in the Galleria. However, she wakes just five minutes before we leave. She sees David and asks, "How did that man turn to stone?" And all I can think is, "Exactly."

 

I snap this picture of my girls on our walk back from the train station to our Villa. The sun is low in the sky, and the heat of the day has been replaced by the cool of evening. In my mind, I keep thinking about giants. A giant tower in Pisa. A giant slab of marble that became a masterpiece.

And I can't help but think of the incredible year we've had. We have had a year of conquering giants. It was a giant leap of faith to travel across the world to Indonesia, so foreign in every way to what we knew. It was a giant step for Madi to play soccer on the boys team. It took giant courage for me to get behind the wheel of the car and drive in Jakarta traffic...on the opposite side of the road! 

For Leasie and the twins, it took gigantic strength of character to be in new schools and be brave.

Conquering Giants. 

It takes great effort. 

But as with most things, the reward is worth it.