April 1983: San Miniato, Italy

An international workshop on Satellite Altimetry and Ocean Circulation was held at San Miniato, Italy, in April 1983. The meeting was organised by Dr Tom Allen who had worked at the NATO Labs at La Spezia and who had connections with a holiday agency in Tuscany. If I remember correctly we flew to Pisa and then took a local train to Santa Croce sull’Arno. This was before the leaning Tower was closed for remedial works. It was quite scary going up the spiral stairs inside the Tower and then emerging on one of the intermediate galleries were the floor sloped away and there was no barrier to prevent you falling from the Tower. I’m sure it’s changed now!

San Miniato is one of those beautiful Tuscan hill top villages. The Conference Centre was a converted monastory or convent building and there were still works going on. Occasionally that was self evident when a radio call from a workman to one of the trucks would break through on the radio mikes in the Centre! Meals at the Centre were good despite sometimes seeming like pasta for every course.

Photo Gallery: San Miniato…