Stone upon stone: an Italian sojourn: Faded, but beautiful still

Like so much in Italy these days so many of the palazzos and piazzas are a little faded; those in the city of Pisa amongst them. However, the big money items, the Leaning Tower and the other beautiful UNESCO buildings surrounding it, have all been maintained, given a spit and polish, and some look much smarter than the last time we were here. And there are no jacks now holding up one side of the Leaning Tower as there once were: stopping the tower falling has clearly been successful, at least for now.

The Duomo with its classical exterior of three doors, rising to four floors of pillars and statues, still attracts huge crowds on a lovely sunny day like today. As do one or two funny little animals dressed up to go. The circular Baptistry with a statue of John the Baptist atop the dome is gorgeous As is Il Camposanto Monumentale, the monumental cemetery, which claims to enclose dirt inside its walls from Golgotha, which was brought back by the crusaders.

The city today is a faint shadow of its former powerful self. It was once one of the largest maritime entities operating around the Mediterranean. Its old bridges across the Arno were bombed during the Second World War and have been rebuilt for functionality, not for aesthetics.

A tiny and rather beautiful Gothic church, Santa Maria Della Spina, was reconstructed on higher ground as protection against floods, as, reputedly, it holds a thorn relic from Christ's crown of thorns.

Old buildings that were bombed out in the war have been repaired. Along with the colourful bridges connecting them.

Tourists and university students fill the piazzas today, and Keith Harings, 1989 wall art, TuttoMondo, draws them all. While faded, Pisa is beautiful still, on this delightful day for a city walk.