Florence

My spontaneous daytrip to Florence was a wonderful decision. I went with Brian, Matt and Kristen on the high-speed train from Termini Station in Rome. The ride was comfortable and quick. When we arrived, we realized that the city was quite easy to tackle on foot. I did not know very much about Florence beforehand, except that it was considered the birthplace of Renaissance art and was ruled by the powerful Medici family.

When we walked into the piazza, I was in awe of the Duomo and the piazza in which it stands. It was a beautiful, sunny day, but the size of the Duomo creates a windtunnel that seemed to enhance the hustle and bustle of daily Florentine life. I noticed such a stark contrast between fast, metropolitan city of Rome and quaint, beautiful city of Florence. While both hold their respective histories, Florence captivated me in a way that Rome did not. We casually strolled around the Duomo and surrounding streets, remarking how much we wish we could spend a few more days.

We met up with Kristen’s friend, Jamie, who lived in an incredible apartment with a rooftop terrace just beneath the Duomo. She then led us around through the vast leather and glass markets, where I purchased more souvenirs than I had anywhere else! Later, we ate delicious, fresh paninis from a highly recommended deli, “The Oil Shoppe.” From there, we took an enjoyable walk across the Ponte Vecchio (which means “old bridge” in Italian.) It spans the narrowest part of the Arno River and is noted for the shops that line its sides. I learned that butchers first occupied the shops, then art dealers and now, jewelers are the current tenants.

As we walked across the Ponte Vecchio, we met up with two Loyola girls, Caroline and Marisa. They took us to the Piazzale Michaelangelo, which boasted a better view of the city than the top of the Duomo. It was a bit of a climb, but completely worth it. I could see the entire city, the Arno River, and surrounding mountains. To top it off, we had the BEST gelato when we walked down. I learned that the real, not processed gelato comes from metal cartons and not from pans in a bakery case.

In the afternoon, Kristen and I went to a market and bought tomatoes, mozzarella, parmesan, baguette, olives, red wine and prosciutto to have a feast on Jamie’s terrace. We watched the sunset behind the Duomo and relaxed. I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh, delicious Italian food and found myself hoping I would return to Florence soon.