My first impression of Florence was both calming and chaotic. Calming because it was one o’clock in the morning and the streets were quiet. And chaotic because we were staying at an Air B&B located in the heart of Piazza della Signoria where the only traffic allowed was either on foot or by taxi.
Arriving in Florence:
Here we are at one o’clock in the morning, six travelers who have a minimum of two pieces of luggage each. Four of us are dropped off with all the luggage at Ponte Santa Trinita, a nearby bridge, which was the closest access point to our accommodations. Meanwhile, the other two go to find a garage where we can leave our vehicle. Granted, we only had to walk about 500 meters (547 yards), which really isn’t a lot, but the four of us maneuvering luggage for six down cobblestone roads in the middle of the night was kind of funny. And on top of that we had a hard time finding the actual address of where we were staying!
Once we finally found the place, and got everything lugged up the long flight of stairs, we were able to relax, get a good night’s sleep and begin our adventure in Italy!
Piazza della Signoria:
There is certainly a lot going on here with many statues such as a replica of Michelangelo’s David, Bandinelli’s Hercules and Cacus, and the statue of Perseo holding Medusa’s head. There are also several restaurants where you can sit outside and enjoy the sites and do some people watching. In the evening there are busking street musicians in and around the area that you can sit and enjoy.
Duomo: Brunelleschi’s Dome
Florence is best known for the Duomo, a nickname given to the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (Saint Mary of the Flower). It’s a beautiful structure covered in pink, white and green marble with an enormous red tiled cupola. If you’re into history then you may already know that it’s construction was started in 1296 and took 150 years to complete.
We opted to pay extra for the ‘skip-the-line’ guided tour where they give you radio packs with earbuds to hear the tour guide’s explanation of the sites inside. We climbed the 463 stairs that take you up and between the inner and outer dome structures which is pretty amazing in itself. The passages are fairly narrow so if you are claustrophobic at all you may not want to partake.
Once inside we walked along the perimeter of the dome where we could see the giant fresco on the dome ceiling. The painting is called The Last Judgement and depicts bodies of the damned descending into Hell.
After more climbing you reach the very top of the dome where you can walk around the outside for 360 degree views of Florence. Bring your camera because this is a great place for a photo op.
Duomo Museum:
Be sure to take advantage of your included admission to the museum. We actually did it the day after our tour since the ticket was valid for 72 hours after first use.
Mercato Centrale:
After our tour of the Duomo we headed to Mercato Centrale for lunch. This is a huge building filled with shops full of delicious wholesome foods and around 500 seats to sit and enjoy some lunch and a beer or glass of wine between your sightseeing adventures. They have a huge variety of food ranging from pizza & pasta, to sushi, to fish, burgers, deli meats and cheeses, desserts and vegetarian fare. They have it all.
If you’re looking for other shopping there are several leather markets, street vendors, and shops selling clothes, housewares, luggage, and souvenirs nearby. The one thing I had to have was a scarf from one of the street vendors. At 5 euro each I wish I would have gotten more than one!
Santa Croce:
This church is the burial place of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and Galileo Galilei just to name a few. It is another of Florence’s must-see attractions as it is full of interesting history and architecture. It would be impossible for me to even scratch the surface of all the information there is to be had on just this church alone.
Ponte Vecchio: “Old Bridge”
Ponte Vecchio is the oldest bridge in Florence dating back to 1345 when it was rebuilt after a flood. The romantic old bridge that crosses the Arno river is lined with numerous jewelry filled shops and is a great location for sunset photos.
The Rose Garden:
If you want to see and capture some breathtaking views of Florence you have to visit the Rose Garden located just below Piazzale Michelangelo and the bronze statue of David. The garden is free to visit and contains 400 varieties of roses. You can see the garden, Ponte Vecchio, Duomo, and the distant mountains all at once. The other thing you will see there is several works of art like Partir, the bronze ‘ship in a suitcase’ sculpture, by belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon.
Plan ahead:
With a population of just over 380,000 Florence is a small city rich in art and culture. There are so many interesting sites. I can tell you that two or three days is not enough time to experience all it has to offer. If you are able, it is possible to walk to just about everywhere. And, it’s a good opportunity to walk off some of the extra calories from all the delicious food you’ll be indulging in!
If my Florence story has inspired you to visit, I highly recommend booking a private tour with GoWithGuide. Their local expert guides can create a custom experience tailored just for you — whether you want to dive deeper into Renaissance art, explore hidden gems, or simply wander the streets like a local without the stress of planning.
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On our first trip to Venice, Italy, we had no idea what we were in for. We had taken the train from Florence and after arriving were surprised by how many bridges, with stairs, there were to be crossed. 391 to be exact. Luckily we only had to manage four of them, with all our luggage, before arriving at our Air B&B. Thankfully, most of them are small with maybe half a dozen steps up and down each side. But still, when you’ve got a lot of luggage it’s a real pain in the… everything! I recommend packing light for this trip if you have to walk to your accommodations.
Navigation: Getting lost in Venice!
As with most travelers, we spent three days winding through the maze of streets taking time to gawk at the shops filled with clothing, glassware, trinkets and food. Eventually, we noticed that we weren’t the only people trying get our GPS systems to work. At one point we were thinking it would be easier to navigate with a good old-fashioned map and compass! The buildings are tall and the passages narrow so it’s hard to get your bearings by looking for landmarks. Be prepared because getting lost is part of the adventure!
Venice is rather small and you can cover a lot of ground in a day. We managed to see most of the prominent sights during our short stay, crossing the Grand Canal via the Rialto Bridge several times in our quest to see as many of these sights as possible. We made our way to Piazza San Marco and stopped for a bit to enjoy the views of the Basilica and St. Mark’s Campanile, do some people watching, and have a drink at one of the restaurants. The “Spritz” is a popular cocktail made with Aperol, sparkling wine (Prosecco), and a splash of club soda. We ladies thought is was refreshing however, the guys opted for beer.
What to wear:
Be aware that you must be dressed appropriately to visit religious sights. Tank tops and short shorts, etc. will not be permitted. Check out this link for more Do’s and Don’ts.
On one of the days we took a 45-minute private boat tour through the Grand Canal to catch the sunset and get a better look at some of the sights such as the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute. One of the friends we were traveling with is a prominent photographer from Paris so we were constantly chasing the sun (and him) looking for that perfect shot. You can check out some of his work here
By the way ladies, if you want a comfortable shoe that is also kinda sexy, try out Dansko sandals. I walked all over Venice in them and they were awesome.
Dining:
Since there were seven of us and we were staying in an Air B&B, we opted to shop for food and cook most of our meals. We did however have some delicious pizza and croissants from the Majer bakery on the corner near us. The other treat we enjoyed was the gelato! Pistachio is a popular flavor but my favorite was the cherry.
On our final night the rain caught us outside coming back from Piazza San Marco. It encouraged us to take cover for a few minutes before continuing on, despite having our umbrellas and raincoats. Getting caught in that downpour made my husband and I have second thoughts about dragging our suitcases 30 minutes to the “water bus” the next morning to catch a 30 minute boat ride to the airport. Instead we opted to spend the extra money and arrange for a water taxi. They would pick us up at the nearest canal to where we were staying and take us directly to the airport. Let me tell you, that was the best 120 euro ($145) we spent. Because as soon as it was time to leave, the rain came in buckets once again!
