The Magic of Firenze

I know it sounds cheesy, but Florence, Italy was truly magical. I have tried to conjure up a different word that doesn't make it sound like I'm describing Disneyland, but there is simply no other way to put it. We arrived late at night after a very long bus ride. The bus couldn't drive up to the hotel, so we dragged our suitcases along the cobblestones, amazed at how energetic the city was at this hour. We passed street vendors in front of the Duomo who were shooting their glowing helicopter toys high into the air. (These toys were everywhere in Italy, and I finally broke down and bought one our last night in the country - my brother loved it!) The hotel was perfectly located right in the heart of the city near the Duomo. That first night was an absolutely lovely welcome to the city, as a group of us dropped off our bags and set off to explore the city at midnight. The Duomo and Arno River were beautiful all lit up, and most importantly, I experienced my very first gelato. Let me tell you, it is everything it's made out to be plus more.

The next day, a few of us went on an early-morning run, which I discovered to be the perfect way to get a feel for the cities we visited. That morning, we hit the markets of Florence and found ourselves in seventh heaven - vendors for miles boasting purses, trinkets, jewelry, clothes... I'm fairly sure nearly every girl on the trip left Florence with a new bag. We spent quite a bit of time at the different markets around the city, and I acquired more than a few souvenirs. After the markets, we had a business visit at the Pierotucci Leather Factory where they let us explore the store and showed us around the factory. That night was one of my favorites of the entire trip. I had my first Italian pizza for dinner before walking up to the Piazza Michelangelo, which is on a hill overlooking the city. The view was simply incredible. We arrived just in time for sunset, and we stayed as the city lights slowly crept on. I can still picture the scene perfectly, right down to the Italian singing and playing his guitar in the background. Making our way to the hotel, we stopped for gelato, and I discovered my favorite flavor - dark chocolate. On the way back, we happened upon an orchestra giving a beautiful performance in Signoria Square.

Our final day in Florence was a busy one. We started the day out early at the Accademia to see Michelangelo's David. Waiting in line was made more entertaining by our group members attempting to bargain with the stubborn street vendors selling art. After the museum, naturally we had to hit the markets a final time before lunch. After, we explored some gardens - a beautiful but very hot experience... The lime slushies we discovered on the way back were lifesavers. We had a wonderful evening, as a group of us found a charming restaurant for a traditional Italian dinner and then went to an outdoor ballet - such a neat experience! We topped off the night with - you guessed it - gelato.

To put it simply, I fell head over heels in love with Florence, and it is at the very top of my list to revisit. Firenze offered quite a magical couple of days.

"You may have the universe if I may have Italy." - Giuseppe Verdi