Germany and Beyond: Italy: Florence

Florence was a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of Rome. There are more walking streets and less Italians in cars trying to nudge you off zebra crossings so they can get to their destinations an impressive two seconds earlier. People seem more relaxed here and more friendly.

First best thing about Florence: Room upgrade from a six bed dorm to a king sized private room with fabulous views

A free upgrade to a private double room was a bit of a treat after a few restless nights in our six bed dorm in Rome. This set the tone for the rest of our time in Florence. It was pretty relaxing. First up was a visit to St Lorenzo church which also had Michaelangelos library with books back to the 1100’s, and Donatello’s grave along with various Medici’s..

View from our room: Saint Lorenzo Church

Saint Lorenzo Church: The unfinished wall

Hallway leading to Michelangelo's library

A book from Michelangelo's library - This one was written in the 1500's, some in his library were written as early as the 1100's

We then started on a big walk through the streets of Florence eventually crossing the Ponte Vecchio and ending up back at the Uffizi gallery (no photographs allowed inside the gallery). Getting in was fairly chaotic in a way that only Italians can do. It was filled with lots of religious art, sculptures and renaissance stuff from Michaelangelo, Boticelli and the like.

Ponte Vecchio Bridge

I did manage to take a sneaky shot of the Ponte Vecchio Bridge from the gallery.

Ponte Vecchio Bridge

We later headed to the Florence Cathedral. No photograph does this place justice. Favorite cathedral of all time - at least from the outside.

The Florence Cathedral

The interior of the church is pretty classy too. The floor was a mosaic while the ceilings were more plain and creative in architecture rather than decoration.

We decided to find an aperitivo bar for dinner where you order a drink and get free food! We'd heard about Volume at Spirito Santo Square, a cool local bar with student types and a hipster feel. Joe got an aperol spritz (which is the thing to do - I hate the stuff) and with our drinks we were served chips, dips, olives and other nibbles. We then went to Negroni Bar a bit further down the river which had an awesome buffet with your drink. A bit more of a snooty attitude but great food.

Volume: Cool bar where they serve aperitivo (free food when you order a drink)

The next day we walked across town to find this little gem of a car park. You can pay for these views via the cathedral tower or you can come here for free (with the tower included in your view)!