Florence Guide

December 26 - December 29 2017

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

• Plan ahead if you're interested in touring the Duomo or churches because the entry lines can get super long. We admired many buildings from the outside.

• The train system is a great way to travel to nearby cities. Tickets can be purchased in the station from kiosks or online. There are different types of trains (InterCity, Eurostar, Regionale) and tickets. Certain tickets require validation or seat reservations. Give yourself enough time at the station to figure this all out!

• Taxi's cannot be flagged down as they pass you on the street. They are stationed at "taxi posts" and can be requested by a phone call.

FUN FACT

Florence was the first city in Europe to have paved streets.

My family went to Italy (Florence > Rome > Sorrento) during the holiday season, starting in Florence. I think I would have enjoyed Florence more if the weather wasn't so rainy. The city is full of cathedrals (Basilica of Santa Croce & Duomo), plazas and art. The Piazzale Michelangelo, Piazza del Duomo and the Corridoio Vasariano are great areas to walk around. The Arno River splits the city, with bridges connecting the two sides. Some bridges, such as the Ponte Vecchio, have shops along it.

Michelangelo Buonarroti, an Italian Renaissance artist, grew up in Florence. A lot of his art can be found throughout the city and in cathedrals, including the sculpture of David.

Personally, I can only spend so much time looking at buildings and art. Florence is in a great location for day trips to other cities. My family and I went on a day-tour with Alessio and Ariana, from KM Zero Tours. This Chianti-based company wants visitors to experience Tuscany in a "real and authentic way." (In addition to day tours, this company also offers week-long experiences.)

Alessio and Arianna, drove us through the Tuscan countryside to a village called Montefioralle, where we took a cooking class with Chef Stefania (owner of Pasta al Pesto). We ate a delicious home-cooked meal of beef stew, fennel, leek-filled ravioli and tiramisu - all made from scratch.

If you can't make it to Tuscany, you can still take one of Stefania's cooking classes online.

After our cooking class, Alessio and Arianna took us to Vallone di Cecione, a family-owned winery. The owner, Francesco Anichini, gave us a tour of the wine cellar and a lesson on wine production. Unfortunately it was raining so we weren't able to tour the vineyards but that didn't stop us from sampling the wine. The labels on the bottle's are old family photos, featuring Francesco as a child and his grandparents.

My favorite wine that I sampled was the Chianti Classico.

Another day trip we took was to Pisa, which is about an hour train ride from Florence. Pisa is a really cute town with colorful buildings and outdoor markets. It is best known for the Leaning Tower of Pisa (which was a lot shorter than I imagined). This freestanding bell tower has a 5.5 degree lean but is still standing strong. Right next to the tower is the Piazzo del Duomo, the city's cathedral.

If you're looking for a place to eat in Pisa, walk in a few blocks away from the tower into the town. It's less crowded and there is a better selection of restaurants.

We were not able to explore Pisa for too long because we had a train to catch, but I am glad I had the opportunity to visit for a little while.

Tuscany is a great region in Italy. The wine and food is delicious, and affordable. There is plenty to do, but I never felt overwhelmed or stressed. If I went again, I would have liked to stay in AirBNB closer to the city center. Our hotel was very nice but it was about a mile outside the city. With the rain and cooler winter temperatures, it was a long walk home after dinner.