Florence

Life sure is quiet around here without having a guest around.  The one perk is that I can finally update my blog about where I have been over the past few weeks.  Nate and I first went to Florence, Italy.  We stayed there for four nights in a lovely little hotel by the Santa Croce.  I was last in Florence about three and a half years ago.  Last time, my camera batteries died and I didn't have my charger.  This time I got to take photos with a new camera that Nate surprised me with as a birthday gift (thanks again!).

Nate and I met in Rome and immediately embarked on a fast train to Florence.  What a trooper, having been on a plane for 12+ hours and battling a sore throat and head cold to boot.  We finally arrived at our hotel and decided to go to a restaurant that our hotel recommended.  It just so happened to be the same place I had the best Italian meal ever the last time I was there!  I couldn't believe it.  The food is authentic Tuscan, homemade, and just awesome.  The next morning was Easter Sunday.  I enjoyed my cappuccino while watching the festivities at the Duomo in Florence.  Florence turned out to be jam-packed with visitors and tourists.  We couldn't go see the Uffizi gallery or David as planned, so instead bought tickets in advance and went to Piazza Pite.

View of Piazza Pite from outside.

It may not look like much on the outside; however, the inside was filled with beautiful architecture and Renaissance Florentine art.  Truly beautiful.  Unfortunately, no photos were allowed inside.  Nate and I walked through room after room of ornately decorated rooms filled with paintings and incredible ceilings.  You had to spend just as much time looking up as you did around at the paintings.  Some of the rooms were still intact with original furniture as well.  We also got to go walk around the gardens, which provided fabulous views of Florence.  It is hard to imagine living on a compound like this.

View of Florence from Piazza Pite gardens.

Gardens and statues in Piazza Pite

On our way to the palace, of course we had to walk across the Ponte Vecchio.  This bridge is famous for all of the shops on the bridge that sell gold.

Strolling amongst the gold stores.

Afterwards, we enjoyed another amazing lunch and went off towards the Duomo, a large domed cathedral.  

The massive Duomo

It is impossible to show in a photo just how massive this cathedral really is.  It is also one of the few cathedrals I have been to that is more beautiful on the outside than the inside.  We weren't able to really walk around because of Easter mass, but we did go in (under the pretenses that we were staying for mass) just to have a look.  

Afterwards, it was about time to head to the bridge to see the sunset over the Ponte Vecchio.  Because of the time of year, it wasn't directly over the bridge like it was the last time I was in Florence, but still beautiful nonetheless.

Beautiful Ponte Vecchio

Using a watercolor filter on my new camera :)

Just the person I want to watch a sunset with :)

The next two days, Nate and I went on day trips to Cinque Terre and into Chianti wine country.  I will have separate entries for each later this week.  Florence was the perfect place to be for the first half of our trip.  The beautiful architecture, art, amazing food and wine just can't be topped.  It is saturated with culture and a richness for life, without the hustle and bustle of Rome or Venice.  Before we took the train to Como to relax on the lake, Nate and I went to the famed Uffizi gallery.  There we saw works by Michaelangelo, Botecceli, and countless other Florentine or Tuscan Renaissance artists.  It is a marvelous gallery that showcases some of the best Renaissance art in the world.  No trip to Italy is complete without spending some time in beautiful Florence.  I can't say enough good things about this city, and I hope to make it back someday for another visit.