With France now behind us, our next destination was Livorno, Italy. This port city in the beautiful Tuscan region is conveniently close to Florence and Pisa. Upon arriving in Livorno and grabbing a quick breakfast, we quickly made our way to the designated meeting spot for our Florence Tour we booked on the cruise the night before. Before we knew it, we were on board our bus and enjoying a scenic tour to buzzling Florence.
Ok so we are the first to admit that since watching Under the Tuscan Sun a hundred times by now, our excitement to dive headlong in an enticing adventure around romantic Tuscany, and Italy for that matter, were at full speed, especially as our eyes feasted on ripe grape vines and lush scenery unfold before our eyes.
After about an hour on the road we drove right into Florence. Due to the enforced ZTL (Limited Traffic Zone) that only permit vehicles with special permits to drive into the historical center, the coach bus parked alongside the Arno River. Fortunately the city center was no more than a 10-minute walk. As we continued to trek further along the center to begin our free time, the first building we came across was the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze (The National Central Library of Florence), the largest in Italy. Seeing this great mausoleum dedicated to intellectual thinking was definitely a treat to our bookworm hearts.
Just a few feet from the National Central Library was the Basilica di Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross), which by far is one of the most beautiful churches we have seen, and a tasteful precursor to all the delights awaiting us.
Once our tour guide set a place and time for us to meet up later, we were given full reign to go trollop through the narrow cobblestone streets in the city for a few hours. Now anyone who’s ever heard of Florence whether in textbooks, magazines or television knows the iconic Duomo (known as The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore and Il Domo di Firenze) is one of the most sought out landmarks in this great city. And the reason we made it the first priority.
Trust us when we say that no feature in a magazine or HD TV can fully capture the splendor of The Duomo. Every square inch of this magnificent Italian cathedral church from the impressive façade to the large dome is dipped in gothic architecture. As expected there was a line already forming around to structure to enter the Duomo? But surprisingly it moved quite quickly, and we were soon moving inside only to be stopped by guards. Unfortunately we forgot about the strict dress code enforced—our clothes while suited for the warm climate were just shy of the at knee length protocol required to enter the church. Fortunately we were able to take a quick snapshot of the interior before moving on.
Here is where we decided to slow our pace and simply see where the Florence streets would take us next. It wasn’t long until we found ourselves passing the Basilica di San Lorenzo (Basilica of Saint Lawrence) and the Piazza Santa Maria Novella, including the beautiful Basilica of Santa Maria Novella. One of the best things about Florence—Italy in general—is that every where we look there is incredibly rich history behind every structure, statues, and it’s reflected in the pride etched in every Florentians’ face as they quickly moving along the busy streets in their beloved city.
No trip to Florence would be complete with out enjoying a little window browsing at some of the best luxury stores in the world, including Giorgio Armani, Fendi, and Prada to name a few. To say our little fashionista hearts were on cloud nine would be an understatement. Although we resisted temptation (and a large dent on our wallets) we cheerfully settled on seeing some of the new collections on display, and of course indulging on typical people watching. Believe us when we say that fashion and sophistication is a standard not an exception in Florence as most women and men we saw whether in casual or formal attire were dressed to the nines with Louis Vuitton handbags and Italian leather shoes to match.
Speaking of which, we couldn’t resist walking down Via Tornabuoni to see one of our favorite designer stores, Salvatore Ferragamo. Based in Florence, the Ferragamo shop in Florence is impressive. The building not only houses the headquarters for the brand, but also the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum which features a display a collection of shoes designed by Salvatore himself throughout his career up until his death in 1960. Anyone with even the slightest interest in fashion will thoroughly enjoy a visit to the Ferragamo store and museum. Plus the incredible designer shoes on display are a shoe addicts dream.
Unable to fit in a visit to see Michelangelo’s David, we made our way to the town hall of Florence, the Palazzo Vecchio (or Old Palace) where we were told a replica of David stood at the entrance. After being pointed to the right direction by some helpful people, we made our way to Palazzo Vecchio. Along the way we came across an outdoor market called Loggia del Porcellino. Here an array of stalls selling leather goods, pashmina scarfs and souvenirs are housed. Because of the location we noticed items were more expensive. Of course this did not keep us from walking by each stall, checking out all the delightful things on display.
Finally we arrived at Palazzo Vecchio only to stand stock still when we saw all the magnificent statues all along the plaza. This place truly takes outdoor museum to a different level. The replica of David as expected was exquisite, and we couldn’t stop gawking at Baccio Bandinelli’s Hercules and Cacus sculpture. The intricate detail on this sculpture, as well all the many other ones we saw, were just outstanding. Absolute works of art. A little trivia for you all. See the photo below. Take a closer look at the last image to the right. The sculpture on the steps is actually a man in costume. Incredible right? There are actually quite a few people disguised as statues throughout the city.
Next we found ourselves just a few feet from the famous Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) and alongside the Arno river. Unfortunately by this time we could no longer ignore the rumblings of our stomach so we skipped the walk across the iconic bridge in search of some delicious Italian fare. With less than an hour before we had to meet up with our tour guide, we chose a small pizzeria we came across. The pizzeria was petite with only a few bar stools to sit, but the delicious aromas of melted mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and baked pizza crust tantalized the air. Securely wrapped in paper, we took our meal to go. No more than a few feet away, we spotted a gelato place and sat down to eat our warm pizza, and as a bonus, some delicious homemade Italian gelato. It’s almost criminal to leave Italy without first having some good gelato.
Once we finished our last bite of pizza and spoonful of watermelon gelato, we found a quirky shop near Santa Croce to buy a few souvenirs to take home, including the popular pashmina scarfs and Florence-inspired artwork. The best part, they were three euros a piece. A word of advice for those traveling to Florence, the further you go outside the main center, the more budget friendly items you’ll find. Some outdoor stalls like those near Santa Lorenzo are a great way to find some amazing finds. Negotiating prices is also encouraged there.
At last with our souvenirs on toll, we headed back to Santa Croce to meet up with the rest of our tour group. Twenty minutes later we were back on the bus. Right before leaving Florence, our tour guide took us to a leather factory to have a look at the leather production and to use the toilet facilities. With the heavy walking we did in the city, we were absolutely beat. So we quickly ventured inside the leather factory and took peak at all the leather jackets, handbags and belts, grabbed a complimentary bottle of water on the way out and boarding the bus soon after.
On the scenic ride back to Livorno and the cruise ship, we made sure to take in all our surroundings whether it was the swaying Cyprus trees in the distance or the cheerful sunflower fields. Soon we found ourselves reflecting on our day in Florence. While we experienced no steamy Italian romances or devil-may-care adventures the movies would have us believe, for a few hours we got to walk, eat and explore the rich culture like a florentian—albeit—as florentian as we could be sporting an American accent and snapping photos left and right. Florence is a magical city, a place that fills us with the tantalizing temptation to simply live daringly, and passionately.
