The Port of Livorno and beyond-July 19

Etruscan tribes fanned out across the regions now known as Tuscany and Umbria as long ago as 750BC and probably earlier. They were the

first to establish permanent settlements. Neolithic remains give hints about their predecessors, but theirs were the first communities. The name Tuscany is a derivation of the tribal name.

Livorno- that means “Leghorn”- is the gateway to Tuscany. Even though the Romans established the port, it was not fully developed until Florence's Medici family

transformed it into a thriving harbor. WWII bombs destroyed most of the ancient city, but it has been rebuilt as the second largest Italian port and the gateway to Tuscany’s magnificent artistic and

architectural wealth. The need for defense is still fresh in the minds of many residents, and Livorno is an important NATO military base.

The port city of Livorno is a busy, commercial, industrial and tourist center. The car ferries came and went all day long. We even saw a ferry that carries only RV type vehicles. The ferry pulled in, quickly unloaded campers and trailers and just as quickly reloaded and was underway with travelers going the other direction. We also saw a ferry carrying 18-wheeler type commercial trucks.

We watched people hang out on a strange looking beach nestled beside the sea wall. There were also lots of tanned, bathing suited men and women under umbrellas along the sea wall. It looked to us like it was maybe a photo shoot of some sort. Many lovely sailboats and pleasure boats of all types sailed by as we watched.

Just a few miles away in Pisa, the elegant Leaning Tower tilts precariously as it has for centuries. Lucy tried hard to straighten the tower. The four travelers began to climb the stairs to the top of the tower. Bill and Jerry made it almost to the top.

The jewel in the Tuscan crown is Firenze (Florence) where the beautiful Duomo and Baptisty can be seen. The marvelous sculpture by Michelangelo of a young David maybe viewed in a museum. There are many copies of this statue around the city also.

Sitting on the balcony today we were reminded of several other experiences in this area when we traveled in 1963 and again in 2005. Florence has such a lure of travelers through the centuries.