Firenze!

Last weekend I went on my first weekend trip of the semester.  Destination....Florence!  Ana, Lauren, Emily and I all took the hour and a half-long train after our last class on Friday night, settled into our hotel, and set about exploring and in search of dinner right away.  Thank goodness for google maps on our iphones--sure saved us a lot of time and spared us from getting too lost in a brand new city!  Florence was surprisingly a lot smaller than I imagined it to be and our hotel was in a great location, just a 5 minute walk to the train station and about a 7 minute walk to the Duomo and other main sights.

Benvenuti a Firenze!

Saturday morning, we all set out, Rick Steves Italy guidebook in hand, for the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, more commonly known as the Duomo.  The first thing we did was climb the almost 500 steps to the top of the cupola--a must-do in any city.  So far I've done that in Rome, Verona, and Venice.  Let me tell you, although the climb is exhausting, the view is well-worth every step, and it makes for some amazing panorama photos!  The inside of the Duomo is fantastic as well--much plainer walls than I expected, but that makes the ceiling of the dome, on which "The Last Judgement" is painted, stand out all the more.  Our second sightseeing event of the day was going to the Uffizi Gallery where famous paintings such as The Birth of Venus are housed.  I absolutely loved the many rooms of Renaissance-era paintings, especially those of the Madonna and baby Jesus by Filippo Lippi.

At the top of the Duomo, overlooking the city

Ceiling inside the Duomo

Bellissima!!

It's interesting to visit different parts of Italy because you can tell their historical development just by looking at the buildings and subject matter of the statues, paintings, etc.  Unlike Rome, which is an ancient, Medieval Renaissance, Baroque, and modern city all in one, Florence is most clearly a Renaissance city.  You can just feel it as you roam through the quiet streets.  I love it.

After breaking for lunch and an obligatory gelato, we walked around by the Ponte Vecchio and stopped in some shops.  Of course we had to return the next day as well to get another peak at all the beautiful leather products.  I refrained from purchasing anything for the time being, but Ana got some adorable flats custom-made by this adorable old Italian shoemaker.  It's the small moments like those that make me realize what the Italian culture is all about.  Most everyone is so laid-back, and the concept of time seems almost non-existent here.  I think the US could benefit from a little bit of this :)

How amazing does this gelato look?!

Ponte Vecchio

Saturday night we found an amazing restaurant thanks to Emily's gluten-free Italy book that accommodated all of us and treated us like queens!  It was by no means inexpensive, but it was well worth it considering the fact that the nice waiter kept bringing us everything from free champagne to biscotti.  It was honestly the best restaurant service I've ever experienced during my time in Italy.  Usually service is not prioritized here, especially toward tourists, so it was a pleasant surprise!

On Sunday, we started our day by going to the Accademia, the museum where Michelangelo's David is housed.  It was too amazing not to sneak a few pics :)  But I feel like everyone should get the chance to see this statue in person.  Usually I can stare at a statue for a few minutes and be ready to move on, but there is some kind of magical quality in this one that renders you unable to look away.  The attention to detail and the way the statue seems to "move" is incredible.  Later in the day we ventured over to the Basilica di Santa Croce, the church that contains the funerary monuments and tombs of many famous Florentines, among them, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo, Dante, and Bartolini.  It was so surreal standing in front of them.  Yet another moment of "I can't believe I'm actually here."  The historical significance of every place I visit makes it all the more wonderful.  America seems so young in comparison!

The David

Santa Croce

In front of Michelangelo's burial place

During Sunday afternoon we roamed around and ended up going to Piazzele Michelangelo.  It was beautiful at sunset as we overlooked the river, Ponte Vecchio, Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, and the whole Florence skyline.  A great end to a great weekend for sure!

My Firenze buddies!

This school week has already flown by--can't believe it's almost the weekend again!  This weekend I'll be staying in Rome, since I want to be around for the deacons' tour of Saint Peter's Basilica on Saturday.  I'll post about that in a few days!  Arrivederci until then!