I'm just gonna come right out and say it...Florence didn't light my fire. I know, I know...I'm sure a few of you Florence lovers could slap me right about now, but it just didn't do it for me. I don't know what it was about that city, but I didn't leave there feeling awe-struck or compelled to go back. Believe me, I wanted to LOVE it, just like everyone else in the world seems to love it, but Florence is just kind of "ehhh" to me. I'm literally hanging my head in shame over this, people. Like I've committed some kind of Italian crime...how could someone NOT love Florence?! To be honest, our day there was kind of stressful, so maybe that contributed to my disenchantment...and it felt too rushed, like we tried to squeeze in too many sights. Apparently my enjoyment level while sight-seeing is directly related to how stressed I am. Who would've thought? {eye rolls} I'm sure that if given the chance to go back, I would, but I'd plan things out a bit differently and I'd certainly know what to expect. Hey, it was our first time exploring an Italian city, culture shock might have also been factor. I'm not ruling anything out, mostly since I can't quite put my finger just what turned me off.
Now, with all the being said, I did get to see and do lots of things on my bucket list, most notably climbing up the 463 stairs to the top of the Duomo and seeing the Battistero di San Giovanni (Baptistry of St. John). The views atop the Duomo were nothing short of spectacular! And it was fun coaching my sis and cousin up the winding staircases (the parent's sat this one out, obviously). We also got to roam the halls of the Uffizi Gallery, feasting our eyes upon the famous paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli (the Birth of Venus was exquisite!), and Rembrandt. Even though it took up a lot of our time in Florence, it was worth having a look (buy your tickets ahead of time and skip the lines!!) Towards the end of the day we stumbled upon the San Lorenzo markets and spent a couple of hours wandering the streets buying leather bracelets, scarves, and postcards. Oh, and of course pasta...lots and lots of pasta! So, the day was far from a wash. We did have a lot of fun, we did see a lot of history, and D ate the biggest gelato cone that I've ever seen...so, we made a lot of fun of him. Maybe Florence wasn't so bad after all?
Here's a little video of our view from the top of the Duomo. By the way, I hate the word "duomo." It always makes me wanna say stupid things like, "Duomo Arigato, Mr. Roboto." I'm pretty sure we sang that phrase the whole way up the thing. I know, stop it.
After touring the Uffizi Gallery, climbing the Duomo, and wandering around various squares in the city, we decided it was finally time to try some of the gelato that Italy is so famous for. There were so many gelato shops to choose from, it made my head spin. We ended up picking a place with a really cute sign (because, you know, that's how you pick things if your a girl). The shop was packed, but we squeezed in their like sardines and marveled at all the flavors behind the glass case. Some of us got simple cones with a scoop of pistachio and a scoop of stracciatella (chocolate chip)...while others (and by other's I mean my husband, only) got GIANT cones with multiple flavors and large sugar wafers. I think his eyes were bigger than his tummy. When D walked out of that gelato shop carrying the biggest gelato cone I'd ever seen, I couldn't stop laughing! None of us could. He said he didn't want that much, but the girl behind the counter insisted that he should have a "Mickey Mouse" cone. He had no idea what she meant, so he said "Sure!" That gelato girl saw D coming a mile away, I'm sure of it. So, naturally we made fun of him as he walked through the streets of Florence with his half lopsided Mickey Mouse cone. Only my husband, people. Only my husband.
Cannoli, anyone? No? I didn't eat one either. The gelato did me in for the day.
So, there you have it, kids. Day 2 of our Italian adventure in the books.
Up next is our whirlwind tour of my favorite city in all of Italy (thus far)...ROME!
Stay tuned!
