Travel

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05.06.13

Ten Things to do in Florence, Italy

1) Walk. EVERYWHERE. As much as possible. The buses and trams are very easy to navigate, and it’s definitely part of the experience, but walking through Florence simply can’t be beat, rain or shine. You'll get to interact with everyone, you'll get to see more of the city, and you'll get to get lost - which is a lot more fun than it sounds (unless you're late for something, but even then it's an adventure).

2) Go to the Piazzale Michelangelo. Yes, it is one of the biggest tourist locations, but it is absolutely worth it. GO. You won’t be disappointed. ALSO - it’s a beautiful walk no matter where you’re coming from.

3) Spend time on and around the Ponte Vecchio. Even if you’re not going to buy jewelry or a Pinnocchio puppet. There is SO much history surrounding this bridge, and the atmosphere as you cross it is so unique.

4) Go see THE Michelangelo's David. The original. There are two other copies in Florence - one at the Piazzale Michelangelo, and one in the Palazzo Vecchio (which is another place you really ought to go!) But even after spending time admiring them, the original David will take your breath away.

5) Spend as much time as you’d like in and around the Santa Maria del Fiore (the duomo). You are actually allowed to visit the top of the duomo; you climb the four-hundred thirty-some stairs and can examine the frescoes up close. *fun fact, the dome of the Santa Maria del Fiore was constructed without the use of scaffolding - learn about the construction by Filippo Brunelleschi before you visit the cathedral and you’ll appreciate it even that much more, I promise.

6) GELATO. Eat as much gelato as possible. Visit as many different shops as you can (unless you find a favorite right away, in which case they’ll start to recognize you & you’ll make friends). Try to order your gelato in Italian - and make sure that you are very specific UP FRONT about how much you want to spend ( i.e. “un cono due cinque” the cone for 2.50) or they’ll pack it on and you’ll end up spending eight euro on a gelato. (Which might not be such a bad thing to do once, or twice) Seriously though, enjoy this because there is nothing like it - and you can always walk it off ;)

7) Shopping - it’s literally everywhere in Florence. There will be big name shops like H&M, OVS, and Swarovski, as well as smaller, local shops. You’ll find souvenir shops, leather shops, shoe stores, just about every kind of shopping you can imagine. There are also quite a few markets, and these are a lot of fun. If you’re looking for t-shirts or scarves or souvenirs or just about anything else, you’ll be able to find it in their markets. My two favorites were the San Lorenzo market, and the “Piggy Market” in the Piazza del Mercato Nuovo. Fondly called the Piggy Market because of it’s famous boar statue - legend has it, if you rub the nose you’ll return to Florence one day! So make sure you go rub it!

8) Pizza. I don’t really think I even have mention this one, but I’m going to... eat it. Lots of it. There are hundreds of pizzerias in Florence, so try more than one out. There’s also lots of ristorantes that serve pizza, and other Italian specialties. There is just something about eating pizza in Italy that can’t be beat. Wander around, you may even find the pizza shop where Jersey Shore was filmed - and the pizza there was one of my favorites, believe it or not.

 9) People watch. Smile a lot. Try to speak some Italian; the effort will make you friends, and you will probably end up learning a phrase or two. Just about everywhere you go in Florence, some English will be spoken. But communicating with Italians in Italian is so much more fun, even if you only understand every other word they’re saying. You’re going to fall in love with the atmosphere and culture - they are laid back; they love life, their families, and their dogs. You’re going to see dogs everywhere, possibly even in special made baskets attached to bikes so they can go for rides with their owners. Take it all in.

10) WRITE IT ALL DOWN. I don’t care how tired you are at the end of the day, write it down or YOU WILL FORGET. It can be a diary, a blog, on the back of a postcard, or even a note in your phone, but make sure you’ll have access to it. Take a moleskin that you can easily carry with you so that you can make notes as you go and write down names you’d otherwise forget. Trust me, you’ll be so glad that you did. It will come in handy for labeling photos (which you also better be taking plenty of), and for telling stories or advising people where to visit. And if you ever go back, you’ll know where you went that you loved and have to visit again, or places that you never got to try.

I'm posting a link for a great site that I found with lots of helpful information: Visit Florence

Whether it is a road trip across two or three states, a week in Florida, or four months in Europe, I absolutely adore traveling. I love going to places I've never been, trying new things, and experiencing new cultures. This is where I will share my adventures and advice, as well as other seasoned traveler's expertise.

I studied abroad in Italy for a semester, and I've been dying to get back over there ever since I left. Right now I'm saving my money and watching for travel specials, but the most important part of the picture (which is currently missing) is who I'll be traveling with. It'll all unfold in time, but until it actually happens I'll be planning and dreaming - and sharing those plans and dreams with you!