There are some places in this universe that people visit simply for the photo. For that one holiday snap that will secure a grandma giggle, or a fridge-worthy printout for Mum’s desk at work. These are the ‘Me cuddling a lion in Thailand’, or  ‘On a Camel in front of a Pyramid’, or even ‘Floating without gravity in a Spacecraft’ golden snaps of tourism. OK, maybe I will never get the Spacecraft selfie, so my ‘I’m supporting that famous leaning building’ will have to suffice for now…

Designed by an unknown, probably still dignified, architect, the bell tower, known in the world of tragic tourist photos as The Leaning Tower of Pisa, began to be built in 1173. The construction of the tower was continually interrupted by small factors including war and national dept, giving engineers the opportunity to find solutions for the, quite literally, depressing building. The Leaning Tower is actually the Falling Tower. But if it makes you feel any better, the tower has been pretty stable for the past 841 years, so you probably still have time to visit. (Maybe on the same trip that you visit the sinking city of Venice?)

These days, Pisa is a tourist selfie hotspot, where thousands flock yearly to pretend to humorously have some moment with the pathetic-looking asymmetrical tower. No matter what you do, there is nothing original about your photo in Pisa. Many have held it up with every imaginable limb, or posited their legs provocatively enough to look as though they have one impressively large, lopsided member. You are not original, nor are you going to get a photo without a tacky tourist in the background. Keep your expectations low and just watch other posers for a while, because there is nothing funnier than lame tourists laughing at their shameless posing.

But I must be honest. I never miss a moment for a tacky pose with failed architecture. Until I become an astronaut my Mother needs something to adorn her desk with…