I arrived into Florence after flying from Reykjavik to Munich via Copenhagen and then catching a train overnight from Munich to Florence. It ended up being a much cheaper option but it took approximately 26 hours and it was tough. After getting the bare minimum 4 hour sleep once arriving in Florence, I was up and ready to explore the city.
My first stop was the cliched (but required) Galleria dell’academia, also known as the home of the Statue of David. I stayed long enough to bore of the repetitive religious imagery present throughout most of the museum before I saw David.
Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against religion or religious imagery, but I seem to find it all very similar, much like the Red Hot Chilli Pepper’s entire discography.
The Statue of David was enormous, much bigger than I had expected. A lifetime of watching reruns of The Simpsons successfully planted the assumption in my head that the statue of David was only going to be slightly larger than that of a real human being. This assumption was incorrect. The statue was a certainly a sight to behold. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had been able to get a photograph without being yelled at in Italian. My bad!
I then ended up at the Cathedral di Santa Maria. I climbed the four hundred and thirty seven steps to the top. Very exhausting for someone who hasn’t seen the inside of a gym since 2011! But wow, the views were worth every step.
After I had taken about 100 photographs and enjoyed the view for a good hour, it dawned on me.
I had to climb back down. The horror!
After working up an appetite it was time to rekindle my long term love affair with Italian cuisine. I dove head first into a big plate of pesto linguine and I never looked back! I could feel the Spain related weight gain being joined by Italian related weight gain but it was never not going to be worth it.
My next stop on this very busy – yet somehow not rushed – day? The Galleria degli Uffizi. This art gallery was enormous! After seeing the Birth of Venus by Botticelli I quickly lost interest (I am possibly not that cultured when it comes to art) and was keen to head back to my hostel for the free dinner. However one thing became apparent very quickly. When you see a sign marked ‘EXIT’ in this particular gallery, expect it to take at least 20-30 minutes to actually get to said exit.
I stayed in Florence for another few days and had a truly amazing time. I found market after market. I ate gelato after gelato (three gelato runs in a day was not unheard of). I experienced heaven at Gusta Pizza. I marvelled at the beautiful Ponte Vecchio. I was entertained but unimpressed by the Leaning Tower of Pisa. But mostly I ate pasta. Lots and lots and lots of pasta.
Have you been to Florence? Did you love it?
THE LOWDOWN
Getting to Florence: Florence is well connected through rail, air and land connections
Academy Hostel: This is my favourite backpackers in Florence, click here to learn more
Camera: Images captured with an iPhone 4S
Remember: If you are going to buy any souvenirs in Italy, make it a leather bag from Florence – they are gorgeous!
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