LOVE. I love the colorful and rustic churches; I love the intelligent and artistic people; I love the smell of brand new leather; I love the taste of sweet gelato and bitter espresso; I love the atmosphere with a culture so esteemed and proud of their rich history; I love this place. Firenze, Florence, home; whatever you call it, it is amazing.
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| A view of the side of the Baptistry with the Duomo lurking behind |
In the breath taking scenery and gentle rolling hills of the Tuscany region, every corner and turn is filled with a scene worthy of a snapshot and something beautiful and exciting. If I were to ever consider living abroad, it would be in Florence. It is a large town (well city, I guess) but feels so central and small. The birthplace of the Renaissance, most key players of that day, and home to the world’s most beautiful leather, Florence is a dream.
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| The famous Ponte Vecchio ("old bridge") that crosses the great river in Florenece |
Coming off of a whirlwind of an exciting weekend in Switzerland, we hopped right onto the bus at 6 am Monday morning and headed North. Sienna was our first stop. This town is exactly what I always pictured when I thought of Italy. Quaint, cozy, and rustically beautiful. After a day there, we loaded the bus yet again (I won’t miss the days of constant travel once I’m back stateside) and rolled into Florence. We got to stay in Florence for five days so there were plenty of adventures; so I’ll just tell you about the highlights. We got to tour the world famous, architectural brilliance of the Duomo with the famous dome. It sure was a beauty. For mere entertainment purposes, try saying duomo really fast. Fun, right? We thought we were so hilarious and would walk up to people in the main square and ask them to point us in the direction of the duomo (if you’re missing the joke, it’s the most famous church in Florence and is in the middle of the city...obviously you cannot miss it). Or my personal fave, we’d ask if Rome is on the street or the next. Oh, we thought we were so funny. Anyway, we also got to speak with a couple who has lived through the Facist Mussolini regime, World War II, and the great Firenze Flood of 1966. I also found the most amazing vintage consignment store. Was that exciting or what!? I purchased a Gucci handbag from the 1950s and a pair of vintage Prada heels; this girl is a happy camper. The next day while we were touring the Gucci Museum, yep that’s right, we came to their handbag section. They had an entire case of priceless “Icon Bag” handbags that looked exactly like the one I had bought the day before! I told our tour guide the serial number and she informed me that I was a very lucky girl; I was the proud owner of a one-of-a-kind Gucci handbag! Ecstatic I was and still am.
After some incredible days and nights soaking in every bit of my favorite Italian city, we were off to our fourth city of the week (wow, two countries and four cities in a matter of six days; no wonder I’m so tired), Cinque Terre. If anyone out there has a Pinterest account, I guarantee you have seen pictures of this amazing area. The name literally translates to “five lands” because there are five tiny towns all built and nestled into the cliffs of the northern Italian coast. All of these little homes, shops, and churches are painted with the most beautifully rich earth tones. The little bays are speckled with fishing boats and sailboats leisurely floating by. We went on a five hour hike that toured us up, over, and through all the little villages. And at the end, we swam in the salty Mediterranean just soaking and being thankful for such an incredible day and unforgettable adventure.
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| The beautiful cliffs and structures of Cinque Terre. Plus one avid hiker. |
How could I put into words how amazing this is? After every visit and blog post I feel like I have a new favorite place. So yet again I type, and think, and smile, and wonder if Florence and Cinque Terre will ever again grace little ole me with their captivating presence. I sure hope they do.
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| Mediterranean beaches and pebbles |
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| After an absolutely beautiful and amazing all day hike. Hands up for finishing and lemonades on the shore! |
