Firenze

How different Florence was from Rome! It almost reminded me of going from Dublin to Cork (in a much larger sense). Our hostel overbooked, so we got lucky with a private room in a nicer "apartment." We cherished the soft beds, privacy and nice shower head! I loved wandering around the tent market, with merchants trying to bargain anything leather. I was in dire need of some other walking shoes besides boots, and of something purple, so I purchased my beloved Italian purple sneakers! We ate at a lovely outdoor ristorante the first night, where I had veal scallopini with mushrooms and rosemary potatoes. Yum! We also discovered Italian sparkling white wine. I like it much more than champagne!

Our second day was filled of sight-seeing and wandering the town. We got to the Accademia first thing when it opened so we could be the first to see David. I had no idea that the statue was so huge! The detail was amazing. Il Duomo was by far the most impressive structure, as the picture above does not give it justice. We climbed the 414 steps to the top of the dome for a great view, and vowed to never look at stairs again! Ponte Vecchio was another fun sight - the oldest bridge that wasn't destroyed by the Nazi's (built in 1345). The jewelry shops on the bridge were a tease but fun to look at all the sparkles. We then waited in a long line at Galleria degli Uffizi - known as the oldest art museum in the world, which houses "The Birth of Venus." The building itself was gorgeous inside. My neck hurt from looking at the ceiling - ornate with gold leaflets and colorful paintings - as I walked through the maze of rooms. As we wandered, we came upon lovely surprises such as a darling carousel and a lovely pottery shop that I could have spent hours in. We ended our trip with another lovely meal - vegetable pizza and Italian red wine!