Under the Tuscan Sun

After visiting Rome, the next stop on Eurotrip '11 was Florence. We took a 3 hour train ride north to the Tuscany region of Italy to visit its most popular city. I had heard rave reviews about Florence and was really looking forward to experiencing it for myself. Our train arrived at about quarter to 10AM and we made our way from Santa Maria Nova station to our hostel, which turned out to be a good 20 minute bus ride away; it looked like public transportation was going to be our best friend for the next couple of days. We had booked two nights at Hostel 7 Santi, a convent turned hostel that featured a large number of rooms and an in-house restaurant that offered cheap meals for guests. The receptionist told us that although we had booked 4 beds in a 10-bed room, he was giving us a private 4 bed. Italy was just being too good to us! We weren't able to check in because it was well before check-in time, so we put our bags in luggage storage and headed out to see the sights.


The bus system turned out to be a bit confusing but we eventually ended up back at the main train station which is centrally located to some of the major tourist areas in the city. We checked into a tourist office to get a map and recommendations of what we could do in the time we had. Our first stop was to visit the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, the city's famous cathedral. It is located in the Piazza del Duomo and is better known as il Duomo. We didn't go inside due to long lines but seeing the outside was enough for me. The exterior of the church was amazing, it is artfully decorated with intricate designs and paintings from the Renaissance period. The size of the cathedral was also impressive, I learned that it is one of the largest churches in Europe and yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site. There was also an additional baptistery associated with the cathedral in the piazza.

It was around lunchtime and we were getting hungry so we decided to find somewhere to grab a bite to eat. On our search we came upon the San Lorenzo Market, a huge bazaar-like event that had streets and streets of stalls selling some of Italy's most popular goods such as leather, ceramic, and wine.

In the middle of the market was a Faneuil Hall type of place called Mercato Centrale where a variety of Italian specialties were sold. It had everything: fresh pasta, produce, sauces, herbs, spices, wine, breads. Our mouths were watering. Imagine being able to make fresh pasta every night?!

After being distracted by shopping and the copious amounts of markets that Florence has, we eventually made our way back to the cathedral area where we popped in a little cafe for some paninis. Delish! From the cathedral piazza we set off in the direction of Ponte Vecchio, the medieval bridge over the Arno River that still has shops lining it as originally intended. Along the way to the bridge, we passed through various piazzas and stumbled across the 2011 Mille Miglia historic car race in Piazza della Signoria. Hundreds of old Ferraris, Maseratis, and Lamborghinis drove through the center of Florence as part of the annual car rally that celebrates Italian achievements in the realm of automobiles. I really missed my Dad watching the race because I knew he would have loved seeing that. But we pressed on, soon reaching the Ponte Vecchio. It was really crowded with tourists but quite the sight to see; I've never seen a bridge used as a market place. Along the river and on the bridge were love padlocks that had been attached to chains by couples who believed in the superstition that if you lock a padlock together and throw away the key, your love will be unbreakable. It's a really cute tradition that is apparently done all over the world.

We crossed over the Ponte Vecchio after taking some pictures and grabbed a gelato before heading to Piazzale Michelangelo which we were told offered amazing panoramic views of the city and beyond. There was only one issue: the hill. The plaza was on top of a large hill that had only stairs and ramps as a means of getting to the top. So we hoofed it in the blazing heat. But getting to the top, we realized that the trek was worth it. The views were amazing. I could see the city, the river, and the large Tuscan mountain regions that surround the city. It was really breathtaking. We sat down on a bench for a while just taking it in while catching our breath. Piazzale Michelangelo was my favorite spot in Florence.

It was growing late so we decided to head back across the city to our hostel and have dinner before heading to bed. Having seen the major attractions in Florence we set our sights on exploring a bit more of the Tuscan region the following day. Some wine tasting and relaxing was just what we needed after a couple whirlwind days!


Love and on the go,
Haley