Florence, Round Two

Today was a fun and busy day. We saw the Basilica di Santa Croce. This lovely basilica holds the bodies of Dante Alighieri, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, and Galileo Galilei. Zach and I admired this place because it had such prominent figures that you only read about in history books or literature.

We then visited the Accademia Gallery which holds several works of art by Michelangelo. Many of these works were started, but never completed. In the distance, we saw the representation of the Biblical hero David that Michelangelo completed in the early 1500s. 

Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore was next on our list. Stunningly beautiful is all I can say about the outside of this structure. The building began in September of 1296. Much has been added, restored, or changed since its construction so many years ago. The intricate details are absolutely amazing. There is an option to go up to the top of the bell tower, but our large group didn't get that chance. We were pressed for time, and we had a schedule to keep. 

After a busy morning, we checked out of our hotel and headed to our next destination, Siena. We stopped for lunch in a medieval Tuscan village called Monteriggioni. This walled village, constructed in the 1200s, was built on a hill to see any enemies approaching from below. As we walked through the village, I could imagine myself living there during medieval times. They had quaint shops which sold items ranging from clothes to cheese. 

We wound down our day at a family-owned vineyard which has been in the family for three generations. They have a restaurant where all of the ingredients are grown organically, including the vino! Our group had such a wonderful time, and we felt like part of the family! It was a delightful ending to an already lovely day. 

First Day In Florence

We left early the next morning from Venice to visit Florence. On our way, we stopped on the outskirts of Modena at a farmhouse called Leonardi Acetaia that has produced balsamic vinegar since the early 19th century. They have 100-year-old vinegar stored in barrels, and we were given the opportunity to try this creamy yet delicious balsamic vinegar. It is definately the best I have ever had. 

After arriving in Florence, we stopped at our hotel, the Mediterraneo, and off we went to a leather shop called Misuri. We watched a jewelry and leather demonstration before we began shopping. The shop had everything from handbags to coats to jewelry, all beautiful pieces. Since my birthday was coming up, Zach let me pick out a purse! I was excited, and I picked the purse they had a demonstration on. It was a handbag that was made for Grace Kelly when she was on location for To Catch a Thief. Misuri also engraved my initials on the inside for free. I was one happy gal! 

We then enjoyed some free time before dinner that evening, so we walked around Florence. We found another leather shop where Zach tried on some leather jackets. He bought a nice, tan-colored jacket. It looked pretty good on him too!

We finally met up with Ciro, and ate at a lovely restaurant called the Finisterrae. It was right across from the Basilica di Santa Croce in the piazza. We had a margarita pizza there for lunch, and we also had gelato, which was possibly the best-tasting gelato out of the whole trip! For dinner, we had a five-course meal...and by the third course, I was incredibly stuffed. But I carried on! I wasn't going to let all this lovely food go to waste. 

Ciro wanted to show us how the city looked at night before we saw it during the daytime, so our little group walked around Florence, and he showed us certain sites we would be seeing the next day. He showed us the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore and the Piazza della Signoria which had many statues on display including the Fountain of Neptune. After a long walk back to our hotel, we were exhausted. I couldn't help but fall asleep with a smile on my face knowing there was still so much more to see!