Das DEUTSCHE Abenteuer!: Easter Break: Florence!

Firenze: Heaven on Earth!

If there was one city that could rival Dublin for my favorite in Europe, Florence would be it. I chose Florence as my first solo trip...not just in Europe, but really in my life. I absolutely fell in love with the city...it was like Paris in that there was SO much to do and it was SO beautiful and picturesque, but everything was very close together! I had learned the city inside and out by the end of my first day there...by the time I met up with my two roommates (Hayley and Mariel) the next day, I had it all figured out.

The train ride on the way there was definitely interesting as well...I had to put up with drunken Austrian teenage boys at 9am, then ended up having a conductor jabber at me in Italian (and ended up dishing out 23 Euro for getting on a nicer train than I was supposed to), but I MADE IT to Florence! Phew, that part was over. If I could make it through the train ride, I was home-free, right? ...WRONG!

As soon as I got off the train, the next step was to find my way to the hostel. "Okay, looking for (insert name) Street..." Definitely took me a half and hour or so to find the street I was looking for. All I have to say is that these street names need to stop CHANGING! Pick one, and stick with it. Let's not change the name every 50 meters because we FEEL like it! Sheesh.

Anyway, I'm finally on my way to my hotel. Suddenly, to my right appears the San Lorenzo Leather Market. This was not my last run-in with a leather market, but let me just sum it up that I walked away from those markets with a new purse and pair of sunglasses...and NO regrets! Haggling is one of my new favorite hobbies.

The hotel that I stayed at was a WONDERFUL surprise! Private room, private bath with a HOT shower, and free breakfast...all for 20 Euro per night. LOVELY! If you ever make it to Florence, look up Hotel Colorado. May not be high-class, but they're amazing!

I have to admit, the thought of being by myself was terrifying at first, but it really grew on me. I HAD to make decisions, and didn't have to constantly worry about making someone else happy. It was quite pleasant, actually. I wandered around the city with no particular goals, going past the Duomo, the Uffizi, and the Ponte Vecchio. I spent my time taking pictures, wandering through the markets and finally going through the Boboli Gardens (the one real goal I had that day). The whole experience was amazing...(I also was reminded of how magnificent gelato was...YUM!)

Ponte Veccio

San Lorenzo

Leather market at San Lorenzo

Duomo

By the Uffizi...

Fountain in the Piazza by the Uffizi

Another leather market!!!

By the Ponte Veccio

Boboli Gardens

View of Florence from the Boboli Gardens

Statue of Bacchus in the Boboli Gardens

GELATO in a shop on the Ponte Veccio

View from the Ponte Veccio

At the beginning of day 2, I headed out early to a fruit and veggie market and a flea market on the other side of the town. I KNOW that it is SO expected, but I grabbed some grapes and ate them as I leisurely strolled around the city. My roommates weren't due to meet me until later in the afternoon, so I had time to kill.

Fruit Market

I'll try to spare you most of the minute details, but basically as soon as my roommates made it in, we hit the ground running. The first night we went to the Duomo, to San Croce Church, and Via de' Tornabouni (the main shopping street) before grabbing some dinner at Il Cantinone...which in my opinion was a little overly priced. We ended the day as every day in Florence should end...with gelato! We went to Grom Gelateria, which has been agreed upon as the group favorite. (Walnut flavored gelato NEEDS to be introduced to the US...)

"The Gates of Paradise"

Ponte Veccio

Jewelry display window on the Ponte Veccio

The next day was even more jam-packed! We saw Michelangelo's David at the Accademia, Fra Angelico's multiple frescoes at San Marco, the San Lorenzo Basilica, Santa Maria Novella church, the Santa Maria Novella Parfumerie, and FINALLY had reservations at the Uffizi to end the day! The Uffizi was my favorite part - EVERY room held one masterpiece or another, and it was small enough where you weren't rushing around constantly. Michelangelo's David was also MUCH more impressive than I thought it would be. I've heard people describe it as an almost religious experience, and having been there I would totaly agree.

For dinner, we went to a self-service cafeteria, and it was AMAZING. If you ever go to Italy, I'd really recommend it...it's waaaaay cheaper that most restaurants, and I feel like you get more for your money this way. If you couldn't guess already, we ended the day once again with gelato...perfection!