Firenze

No idea what this is supposed to mean...

Day 1: Hey you, get back on the train!

It seemed like we had just gotten to Venice and we were leaving. I guess that's because we DID just get there, checked the boxes, and hit the tracks. In true Epic Trip form we were on to the next exciting stop.

That next stop that morning was Florence, or Firenze if you want to get all fancy European-like. Actually, we had already gotten used to calling Venice "Venezia" so referring to Florence as "Firenze" wasn't a stretch. When that's all you're looking for on maps and train station signs you don't have a problem with it. The train ride was only a few hours and we arrived around lunch time. We had to drag our luggage around a few blocks to get to our apartment we were going to rent for the next 3 days. Apartment...for three days...yeah I was skeptical at first too, but Amy had everything lined up. I can't really picture us asking our current landlord in the States "Hey, would you mind if we just sign the lease for this weekend?"

After a small bit of confusion on exactly when the apartment company was supposed to meet us, the representative showed up (on a bicycle) out of breath. "Sorry! So sorry to keep you waiting!" She ended up being very friendly, helpful, and comical at times. She showed us around the place, explaining "you have hot water TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY!" and "don't worry when you turn the lights on, it runs TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY!" Great. Thanks? Apparently hot water is scarce in European cities because we read about it being in short supply on several hotel websites while planning. She also gave us a few activity, restaurant, and gelateria suggestions before leaving us to the place. And it was a nice place, probably the best location we had stayed at on the trip.

We decided to take a few minutes to rest before heading out late that afternoon. We planned to walk to the Piazzale Michelangelo, which would take us through the heart of the city, past The Duomo, and up a hill through Michelangelo's garden.

The Piazzale Michelangelo is situated at the top of the hill, providing a picturesque view of the city. It was especially good that day for photos as rain was moving in, giving some interesting lighting.

After the Piazzale we hiked back down to the river, which flows through the center of the city and walked along the banks.

We crossed over on the Ponte Vecchio bridge, which got its name from housing gold and jewelry sellers long ago, and it still does today. We dropped in another Rick Steves' dining suggestion and yet again weren't disappointed with the meal. All-in-all it was a great introduction to a charming place.

Day 2: Gelato as far as the eye could see...

Our second day in Florence we planned to see The Duomo, which is just as interesting from the outside as it is from the inside with it's green and red marble walls. From a distance, we all thought it was so unique as it appears like it's painted.

The tower at the Duomo

Front entrance of The Duomo

The baptistry of The Duomo, located a short walk across the street

We toured inside The Duomo as well, and after that we headed to the Bargello Museum, a former castle in the heart of Florence that now holds many famous artworks and sculptures. We took in the art and then stopped over at the Galileo Museum of science. The museum of science was surprisingly good. Initially I thought that the museum was dedicated purely to the works of Galileo, but it was actually the home of a broad range of exhibits that had scientific significance. Maps, clocks, and numerous theory testing apparatuses gave an interesting insight to scientific progress.

Sprinkled in between museums, we stopped at a couple shops when Jami and Amy spotted Florentine pottery. During one of these stops Chris and myself were hanging out at the nearby plaza when we noticed a large setup of tents and signs around the perimeter. We ventured over to find out that the Florence Gelato Festival was THAT NIGHT! We had seen a sign for it from a distance the day before on a bus and thought it would be fun to attend, since we all had a new found love for gelato. Tonight was our chance, so when the girls came back we made the suggestion that after dinner we would spend the evening eating gelato...of course they were on board!

The festival had gelato makers from all over the world that came with a single flavor to compete in the contest. For a modest 10 euro, you received a card with 5 tickets for samples from the stand of your choice. When you were done, you voted for your favorite and they would give you another ticket! Needless to say we left the even with our stomachs about to burst. We were ready to hit the road the next morning!