Florence

Ciao! Welcome to my post on Florence! This was the last stop of our European adventure and it was one to remember forever. Florence is packed full of history, museums, art, steak and wine. If you are able, you need to stay here for more than a week to really soak up all it has to offer.  

We stayed at another Airbnb and it was perfectly located, within walking distance of the Duomo, the third largest church in the world. The streets here are so narrow, most everyone walks or rides bikes everywhere. 
 
After taking a few minutes to check in and drop our bags, we headed over to the most popular sandwich shop in Florence, All' Antico Vinaio. There is always a long line, even after lunchtime, but it moves relatively quickly and it’s totally worth it. The food was delicious! Crunchy bread and sandwiches were filled to the brim. An added perk is you can add wine to your to go. Huzzah! There is no seating in the restaurant, but we happily sat on a nearby curb and enjoyed the pretty architecture. Not a bad spot for lunch!

One of our highest priorities in Florence was to visit the museums. I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Get the Firenze Card. It lasts for 72 hours, gives you access to 72 museums, and it allows you to skip the lines. What could be better? The cost! It is only 72 euros. You may be thinking that 72 euros is a lot for a museum pass, but it saves money and time. Skipping the wait and going directly to the front of the line, was worth its weight in gold. We were able to visit so many more museums this way.  Seeing art by people I studied about in school was remarkable. It made me thankful for my art history teachers who poured so much time and energy into their classes and made me apologetic for taking it for granted. Now I see why they enjoy art so much! So, if you love museums, get the Firenze card. You won't regret it.

The next day we had a vineyard tour with Italy on a Budget Tours. I know what you are thinking -- this sounds cheap and it likely was not a great experience. Instead it was awesome and affordable (50 euros). We toured 2 beautiful vineyards, tasted multiple wines, tried different olive oils and snacks, and visited San Gimignano. Our tour guide was hilarious and taught us so much about Tuscany. I highly recommend this tour because it was fun, light hearted and full of incredible wine. It was splendid to learn how to taste different flavors and notes in the wine and to learn the history of wine country in Tuscany. San Gimignano is also famous for the best gelato in all of Italy, Gelateria Dondoli. I'm drooling just thinking about it. It was the perfect way to end our vineyard tours. Plus, who doesn't love Gelato?? 

Tuscany!

After our day of wine, we headed to the Piazzale Michelangelo. It was quite the hike and we climbed many, many stairs but the view was out of this world incredible. People say that the Duomo has the best view and, while it is amazing, I preferred the Piazzale; especially because you can see the Duomo from the Piazzale. ​

Catching this at sunset was pretty spectacular.

Florence is really known for its meats, not pasta, so you’ll want to splurge. More specifically, splurge on the Florentine steak. It is incredible! I enjoyed one of the best steaks ever at Trattoria ZaZa, which came highly recommended to us by a dear friend. ZaZa’s is quaint and has beautiful murals all over its walls and lovely outdoor seating. Make sure you make a reservation in advance because this place is very popular. This was our last meal in Florence, and it was just the two of us, me and Blake. It was so special and we spent hours talking about everything and anything. It will always be one of my favorite memories. ​​

Florence was very special and will remain near to my heart. I was captured by the history, the architecture, the art and the food. The Italians are clearly living life to the fullest.  
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I hope you have enjoyed my European adventure posts! It has been so fun to share with you and I hope, if you one day get to travel to any of the destinations, I’ve helped you make your planning a little easier. Now I just have to figure out how I can get back to Europe again ;) 

​-Grace