Don't laugh but with only one city remaining to visit on this trip I have to say that Florence just might be my favorite city. I know another favorite but this is it. As one friend said a bit ago you keep saying that you have a new favorite so that must mean that you are having a great trip and that it keeps getting better. This adventure has been wonderful and I have been to so many amazing places and met some incredible people. What i like about Florence is that it combines some of my favorite things from other top cities.
Florence is a relaxed city that looks and has a feel of a village with cobblestone streets and cars unable to drive in the city center. It might be a large city but as a visitor you are not overwhelmed by the city that is so easy to get around on on foot. Today I climbed the 463 stairs to the top of the dome of the great Duomo. The view from the top was magnificant with the mountains in the background lightly sprinkled with snow and in the foreground lines of red tile roofs with towers and domes of churches poking out.
The city is also rich with culture and museums. Visiting the Uffizi and seeing Boticelli's Venus was breathtaking and seeing Michaelangelo's David incredible. Unlike some museums and pieces of art they are dissapointing and not what you imagined or worth the hype. Neither of these great pieces of work were dissapointing. If anything I left appreciating and liking this great work so much more.
The food and wine has also been wonderful and I have enjoyed some of my favorite meals from the trip here in Florence. The food is slightly different from the rest of Italy with more rustic peasant food. I am bringing some recipes back with me and can't wait to give them a try. You can't think of Italy and especially Florence without thinking of gelato. All I can say is YUM! They really do have the best here.
Another favorite event that I have gone to on the trip is visiting Christmas markets. We spent a few hours yesterday browsing the stalls of the market here with yummy baked goods, sausages, and handcrafted work. They call it a German market and it is the best I have seen outside of Austria.
Finally, the great city of Florence is a wonderful place to shop! As many of you know I am not a bit shopper and don't really enjoy it. Florence is big on fashion and with beautiful leather products it is tough not to want to shop and enjoy the items that they sell. I didn't refuse and for the first time on this trip I did a lil shopping and damage.
As I leave Florence and head to Rome I know this is a city I will come back to. Florence is like Paris it is tough to explain just why it is such a special place. I am now on my way to Rome the final stop on this European adventure before I head home for the holidays.
Ciao from Florence!
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