Le Vacanze di Primavera: Florence (Day 1&2)

Our first week of spring break was spent as a ‘class fieldtrip’. Each morning we had a few hours of lecture, which consisted of touring the city, and then the rest of the day was ours to explore on our own. It either rained or was overcast for the first two days of the trip when we were in Florence, Italy (aka Firenze). The first evening we had a short class tour to Chiesa di San Miniato al Monte. The church sits on a hill at the edge of the city and was quite a hike to reach. On the way up the hill, it started to torrential down pour on us! It got to the point where we were almost wading through the river that was coming down the hill at us. As soon as we made to the top of the steps of the church and turned around, we were met with a break in the rain and an absolutely gorgeous view of Florence. It was the first time any of us had seen Florence from a distance. The Gregorian chant mass that was taking place inside the church was also a memorable experience, as well as the unforgettable view from the lookout not far from the church. 

View of Florence from the church steps- it was still raining in the distance

View from the lookout

The Duomo was another highlight of Florence. The journey to the top was so much fun despite how tiring the 463 steps were to climb! I thought that the St. Peter’s dome climb in Rome was interesting with the way the walls tilted and the angle of the stairs, but the Florence Duomo was an even more exaggerated experience! The view from the dome was great and we spent quite a bit of time looking out over the city. Overall, I feel that Florence was more impressive and pretty from above it than actually within it. 

First of many 24 hour clocks we saw on spring break!

View from the Dome

Our hotel room was definitely a new experience… Within the room there was a double-bed headboard attached to the wall, but beneath it there definitely was not a double bed. Instead three single beds were placed together in a space so small that you literally had to jump onto your bed and crawl to the head of it. When Melissa laid down on her bed against one wall, and I laid down on the one against the opposite wall we could easily reach out and hit hands without our arms being fully extended- it was that small! Despite it being small, the room was fairly well kept and clean, so I can’t complain too much. The location was also great because it was easily within walking distance of everything. 

Overall Florence had some great views and architecture (Laurentian Library, Palazzo Vecchio, Santa Croce, and Palazzo Medici, Ruccellai and Riccardi). I enjoyed Florence, but it wasn’t my favorite city so far. Ironically however, I did greatlyyy enjoy the Mexican restaurant that we discovered! One thing I definitely miss from the U.S. is the availability of Mexican food. We had a great meal and delicious margaritas, which I missed so much!  

my delicious strawberry margarita!