La Bella Vita: Firenze!

Hearing my sister obsess about Florence since the time she studied abroad made me so excited to see what she was so in love with. When I arrived all her talk was really lived up to. Our train from Pisa arrived in Florence around dinner time so we decided to go to a restaurant that we had a few recommendations from: Aqua il 2. When I was convinced to order the blueberry steak by the waiter, I was somewhat hesitant considering I don’t really like steak. But, I decided to go for it, and I was so happy I did. It was absolutely amazing!!!! After dinner we headed to a club /lounge called Twice which was just down the street from Piazza Santa Croce. The glowing chandeliers, sleek decor and the lively atmosphere gave the nightclub a good vibe; but I do not know if it was necessarily my scene per say. However, all in all I was happy I got to experience it. The following day we started out day order in order to pack in everything we could. We first headed to San Lorenzo Market where the vendors sell the best leather for the best prices. I always said that before I leave Italy I was coming home with a leather jacket, so after some skillful bargaining I had a tan leather jacket in hand and a huge smile on my face J We then climbed 463 stairs to the top of the Duomo and saw the most breathtaking view of Florence. After your trek to the top we went to the Uffizi and Academia Gallery to see some of the most famous Renaissance art. While at the Academia I even snuck a picture of the statue of David without being caught by the guards! Florence must have known I was coming that weekend because there just so happened to be a Chocolate Festival going on! I was actually in heaven; there were stands with artisanal chocolate producers from all around Italy every turn I took. We indulged in everything from creamy hot chocolate to chocolate covered fruit and then decided that our full stomachs could not handle a night out in Florence. Luckily we still had the morning to go and see Ponte Vecchio, which is a bridge over the Arno River with jewelry and gold shops built all along it. Luckily, my leather purchase was enough to hold me over from any jewelry purchases and after seeing all the main sites in Florence I was ready to head back to ROMA!