Firenze aka Florence, Italy is one of my favorite places in the world. You can walk everywhere and the streets just ooze history!
Heck even the underground oozes history. Did you know the ancient Roman city is actually buried underneath today’s Florence? That’s right… I really wish they would excavate some of it but I guess it’s tough with the city already built on top of it. 🙁
If you’ve read any of our recent Italian excursion blogs, you know that at this point we’ve already travelled to Rome and Positano, where we had our wedding. Now I’m saving the wedding posts for last because basically well, I’m STILL WAITING for our pictures!
LOL.
The bride cannot post just any wedding pictures! I want them to be perfect and really capture our day and mood and the setting I was going for. I’d love it if some of my hard work and creativity inspires newly engaged couples and soon-to-be brides in their own wedding planning!
And now back to Florence!…
We left Positano with only the best of memories and most certainly will be returning. Our car service dropped us off at the Naples train station where we hopped on a train for Florence. Yes, we could have driven there but it’s like a 5 hour drive! We thought it was better time spent hopping on the fast train and besides, riding a train through Italy is fun! The trains are super cute and you get to relax and enjoy the countryside. We needed a break from Italian drivers hahaha.
Btw get your train tickets ahead of time like we did! It’s sooo easy- you print them online months in advance and are all set! We arrived at the station about 45 minutes in advance, had a quick cup of coffee and were ready to board. The trains are very clean and comfortable with some very modern bathrooms lol. OH– the trains board fast so be on time and be prepared to jump on and off!!
Arriving to Florence’s city center on a Saturday afternoon during their “markets” is quite a spectacle. Needless to say there’s a lot of road and pedestrian traffic. I was really thankful I chose a hotel outside the city so we would enjoy some peace and quiet. Villa La Massa is about a 15 minute drive to the city center and sooo worth it to be out in Tuscany!
I definitely recommend Villa La Massa if you enjoy peace and quiet, a beautiful river view and lots of walking and hiking. Their restaurant is fab too! If you’re more of a city person and want to be able to walk everywhere in Florence, then I suggest the Westin Excelsior right near the Ponte Vecchio or the Four Seasons near the Jewish Synagogue. Both are beautiful and do not require a taxi to see the sights.
Okay let’s be honest- I wanted to be in Tuscany so I could find some horseback riding! I’m sneaky 🙂 or so I think… but Anton knows me only too well. He was also very excited to do some riding and was quite enthralled with the location of our hotel so he could enjoy his 10 mile long runs in the early mornings!
SEE… we are always planning vacations around our physical activities… of which, eating and drinking always play a part! 🙂 It’s an all around perfect Mode De Vie Fit!
With only 2 nights here, I made sure we arrived early enough to get sightseeing. I’d studied in Firenze after college so I know the city really well but Anton had never been. Knowing he would love the city and its history we hired another great private tour guide with the help of our American Express Platinum agent and enjoyed an afternoon excursion which included a viewing of the real David.
(Be careful because there are a few replicas of Michelangelo’s David throughout the city. The real one photographed above is in the Musee de Accademia.)
I really think everyone needs to see the David. He is quite stunning. You can see where Michelangelo really studied the human anatomy. The statue’s muscles are so well defined showing veins and arteries. I mean, to me it’s the most perfect human sculpture to date!
Don’t forget to plan ahead- be sure to have your travel agent get your tickets in advance to avoid crowded lines! We were so grateful to be able to walk right in with our guide and bypass the hour plus wait. Seriously, I’ve never seen Florence so crowded! I guess May is the new “IN” time to visit Italy.
We walked everywhere in the city. Two must see’s are the Ponte Vecchio and Il Duomo. You can walk inside the cathedral for free. What I love best about this cathedral is its simplicity on the interior. The exterior is absolutely stunning and really draws attention to it, making people want to enter. The inside however, is very simple. It does not distract you from God, so to speak. For me, the Vatican is just WAY TOO OVER DONE. But that’s just my opinion. Having grown up Catholic, I really believe the church needs to sell or donate a lot of its relics to support its poor. Having expensive churches made out of gold certainly isn’t helping anyone in need, right?
Our guide left us at the Westin Excelsior’s newer rooftop bar. Showcasing a beautiful 360 degree view of the city, this is by far the best place to grab a drink if you’re out and about!
Okay, moving on to the shops now.
The best jewelry shops are actually located on the Ponte Vecchio (Florence’s oldest, most historical bridge originally built in Ancient Roman times). For coats and jackets, ask for Raphael Silletti at the Calzaiuoli Leather Factory. There’s a great place for purses located next to the St. Regis hotel called Bottega Giotti- just ask for Mario. And for custom made shoes you can check out VIAJIYU for amazing flat shoes only. Ask for Nicole Still, the owner.
So you can see that after an amazing tour of the city’s historical parts, we did a little shopping. 🙂 Of course, there are sooo many places to shop in Florence! The names I listed for you are a few stores with great reputations for selling authentic, Italian made goods. Remember, there’s a lot being made in China and sold in Italy right now so be very careful where you go and who you give your money to.
Speaking of money- wear a moneybelt or keep your purse close because there are many crafty pick pockets in Florence who can easily steal your wallet! If someone ever comes up to me to sell me something, I’ve learned to look the other way and keep walking. The moment you engage, you’re either stuck talking your way out of a sale or they send someone else in to pick pocket you during their distraction!
And on that note, let’s move on to dinner! We found this quaint local retaurant located on one of the back streets near Il Duomo. The best dinner in Florence! And sooo inexpensive. The service was great and the local wines were just delicious. It’s a good thing we were going to be active the next day because I definitely needed to work off some of that cheese!
Btw try a Tuscan Vermentino wine… YUMMY!!
Day two was way more active, thank goodness! Anton skipped his run and after we both slept in and enjoyed a river view breakfast, we grabbed two bikes from the hotel and set off on a two hour ride. Of course the hotel told us not to go far but do you really think we listened LOL?
Obviously not. 🙂
We biked towards Florence and over a bridge to the other side of the river where we saw everyone riding bikes and running. We even found the cutest area where people take their canine friends to meet, greet and swim! The Arno river is so pretty I could have followed it for hours. But of course I had to get us back in time for our horse riding appointment! Chop chop hubby, we have horses awaiting us!
Skipping lunch we took a taxi about five minutes away to this super adorable villa and ranch. This beautiful, sweet woman Benedetta owns it and has a full barn of horses. She teaches English riding and jumping to her students when she’s not working full time as an architect. She doesn’t do much with tourists but if you’re an experienced rider and would like her contact info, please email me!
OMG we had the BEST TRAIL RIDE EVER! Talk about Florence with a view. We climbed high up in the hills and rode for two hours! The horses were really wonderful and so well trained. Anton’s horse really took care of him and for a newer rider, I have to say he did amazingly well up and down some pretty steep inclines! We eventually reached a few meadows and got to gallop around too. But overall, being with horses in the fresh open air, enjoying those incredible views was really the highlight of our entire trip!
And let’s not forget they let me do a little bit of jumping after our trail ride.
HEAVEN.
I am ready to move to Tuscany now. I seriously hope Anton is reading this :)…
Between all the biking and horseback riding we were famished. Choosing to walk back to the villa (it was about a 15 minute walk) only increased our hunger pains LOL. We showered as quickly as we could and hopped in a cab, heading straight to the Ponte Vecchio to find a quaint spot. Oh boy did we ever. Firenze O! Fantastic food and exceptional service. The location would make you think it’s a tourist trap but don’t let that fool you. Try it, you’ll love it!
An after dinner walk was all we needed before heading back to our hotel to enjoy one last drink in Tuscany before our early morning departure.
To recap, Florence is so awesome. It’s vibrant, historical and fun! The food is yummy (no surprise here in Italy lol) and the local wines are so smooth. Get outside the city and explore Tuscany if you have the chance.
I recommend staying here for at least two to three nights so you really have time to explore the city. And pack a sweater or two! Even though it gets humid and warm May through September, nights can be chilly. We even encountered an early morning thunder storm- so fun! I packed a pair of white pants, some midlength dresses, shorts and two rompers. Casual chic in this city is always your best option as are flat shoes!
Venice is next guys! Who is dying to go to Florence? Do you have any great adventure stories or cool Tuscan places you recommend? We are seriously considering coming back to Tuscany next summer for a few weeks!
xx Shanna