“No matter where or why you travel there’s always something wonderfully new to be found.”
Dear Florence,
Wow, we underestimated you! We thought we’d stop by quickly as we traveled between Tuscany and Sardinia. While we can appreciate art, we aren’t that into it so we only planned on staying a day and a half. Instead, we didn’t want to leave and wished we had a few more days to explore. We can’t wait to return!
Although it was short, we were able to take in several of your beautiful sights. Our first stop was to admire the beautiful views of Ponte Vecchio bridge.
What a unique bridge! We stopped along the road to enjoy the view and visualize how you would have looked throughout different periods of your history.
We loved admiring your beautiful bridge during sunset as the sun accented your beauty.
However our favorite time to view this beautiful sight was in the evening! We loved practicing our night photography skills here. The reflections on the water and the illuminated buildings were breathtaking!
We loved the various snacks your city has to offer as well. Our first pit stop was to Perche No to taste your gelato!
We loved walking down your narrow streets admiring the views and enjoying this delicious treat!
One of our best treats was the prosciutto platter at La Proscuitteria. Brian was in heaven!
The platter accompanied with a refreshing glass of Prosecco was the perfect pairing for lunch!
We loved the view points your city has to offer as we walked from the city center up to Piazzale Michelangelo.
When we reached the top and saw the views of your city, we were blown away! When we return, we will come up at sunset. We can only imagine how stunning night photography would be up here!
We loved our stay at Antica Torre di Via Tornabuoni Hotel. The rooms were beautiful and the location was perfect! Just a short distance to your main squares! We loved the historical feel of your building, it was consistent with the charm of your city that we were in awe of.
We were blown away by the breakfast this great hotel offered!
Such a delicious spread and the views on the patio while we ate was the perfect way to start the day!
Brian had some of the best prosciutto and mozzarella during the entire two weeks we spent in Italy in your great city at this hotel! He couldn’t get enough!
In the evenings, we would enjoy cocktails on your other rooftop terrace with views of the Duomo, such a staple to your skyline!
We also practiced our night photography from the breakfast patio as well! It was great to see your contrasting views of day and night!
We loved spending time in the Piazza della Signoria. Although we did not go inside any of your art museums, we admired the sculptures around the square!
Although it is gruesome, our favorite sculpture was in the Loggia dei Lanzi.
It was so detailed and unique!
Although we weren’t able to view the real thing, we were happy to see a replica of “David” in the square that we could admire and appreciate his detail!
We loved how you had water fountains throughout your city. We especially appreciated the fountain that offered both natural and sparkling water! What a treat!!
The Florence Cathedral was simply stunning from the street! When we return, a trip inside and a climb up the Duomo will be top of our list!
It was so hot during our trip in July! We loved stopping to enjoy your signature cocktail, the Spritz, in the afternoon!
Thanks for the short, but wonderful glimpse into your city! It’s always great to leave a place and want more. We certainly did not experience enough of you and we can’t wait to return!
Until we meet again…..
~Amanda
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View Comments (35)
Amanda what an inspiring post about Florence. When we were there for a day on cruise it poured and we missed a lot the places you shared here. Only gives me more determination to plan our next trip for a time of the year when the weather is mild and tourists few so we can experience as much as we can. Thank you for linking up with us here at #TheWeeklyPostcard
Unfortunately you cannot control the weather, sorry to hear you did not have luck during your cruise stop. Hope you make it back and can explore the beautiful city!
So pleased you liked Florence and that you saw what a beautiful city it is. Perche No gelato - oh yeh. We ate so many there.
We found ourselves in Perche No a couple times each day :)
We had the same experience! Our plan was to travel Italy north to south with a short stop over in Florence, but we left Rome early just so we could head back to Florence and spend more time there. There is something special about this city, and it was definitely my favorite in all of Italy. And the food. I ate so much amazing food in Florence!
Yes, there is certainly something special there. We found it to be the most romantic of all the Italian cities we visited! Lucky you had the flexibility to fit in some extra time there on your trip.
Can you imagine if you had visited some of the museums? I could spend a whole day just at Uffizi! We went into Florence knowing there was much more to enjoy than we had time for, but it was still overwhelming. Which means we obviously need to go back! Thanks for sharing your awesome experience - and the great photos! #WeekendWanderlust
When we return, we would like to actually go inside the Uffizi! The buildings were so gorgeous from the outside we can only imagine the treasures we would find inside. Glad to hear we are not the only ones putting a return trip to Florence on our travel list!
Your post about Florence made me sad. I was scheduled to go there this October but had to change my plan because of my dog. What a pity I'll miss all these...
Sorry to hear you had to change your plans. Hopefully you can fit Florence into a future trip!
That prosciutto platter looks absolutely divine. I've been to Florence twice. The last time was as a quick 8 hour shore excursion while on a Mediterranean cruise. My husband and I practically ran through the city to cover everything we wanted to see. I felt like I was on the Amazing Race. We had the best gnocchi ever there, too. Florence definitely merits a return visit.
LOL, although it's not preferred sometimes the only way to see a place is running through. We look at it as a nice preview until we can go back and really enjoy & explore!
I'm with you - not really into art - but completely mesmerised by Florence.
Glad to hear we aren't the only ones!
What a beautiful tribute to Florence! I love all those photos, too many to name a favorite! It must be so amazing to live in one of those houses over the bridge. I loved the views from the terrace of the hotel as well. Looks like you had a fabulous time! I really hope we'll get to see Florence in person some time, within the next five years or so :)
Thanks for visiting Florence with us! When you get there in person, highly recommend the hotel we stayed at for the views!
That cathedral looks stunning! Also, the platter and the prosecco seems like plenty of reason to visit Florence. I love when places that you don't expect much from on your travels blow you away and become highlights! Just goes to show that there's so much in this world that we have yet to see! Thanks for sharing your amazing photos!
We loved Florence and love food in Italy. Somehow pasta just tastes better there! If you like Italy and Italian food- go to Bologna. It is amazing!
I agree pasta, prosciutto and cheese just don't taste the same to us now that we've returned. Brian really wanted to get to Bologna however we just couldn't fit it in on our trip. It is definitely high on our list when we return to Italy! Thanks for the tip!