Firenze
Last stop (and the longest) of our trip - Florence. It was almost unbelievable that we were going to stay in one place for two days :D. We had some plans and some time to wander - which is the best combo. So here's what we saw, did not see and what we liked and did not like.
For the views we went for:
- Piazzale Michelangelo - it's uphill - which means you should take some water with you. There are two cafes/restaurants at the top but those were both full when we were there (we bought some water and wine, of course, :D). But that's not the only thing there is, there are people, lots of them. People taking pictures, people blocking your camera, we even saw bride and groom taking pictures. Everybody was taking pictures, us included.
- the Duomo - it's breathtaking! There may be things Italians can't do, but churches are certainly not on that list. The Cupola dei Brunelleschi is the best when it comes to city centre views, and it's a good cardio!
Moreover, there's another HUGE reason to visit the Cupola - when booking the tickets (yes, book them in advance, do not attempt to get them once there) you get to choose the exact time when you're allowed to go in. Yes, you still need to be there let's say 15 minutes before that but queuing for 15 minutes is nothing compared to an hour and a half long queue to the Duomo. Moreover, when going up, you can see inside of the Duomo just fine (if that is not enough for you, then brace yourselves and good luck to you).
Useful tip: the ticket we bought was valid in, I think, 5 different parts/building close to the Duomo. What's really convenient is that your ticket is valid for 72 hours. If you find out there's a long queue to the Duomo you can try next day at some different time. And don't forget to choose the time for the cupola when buying tickets online.
For the wine and food:
- well, you cannot go wrong when it comes to wine and food in Italy. We usually bought wine in small local shops and ate pizza basically anywhere. When we had enough pizza we went for pasta (:D, when in Italy, right?) - if you're there and can't decide - we recommend Osteria Vecchio Vicolo - make a booking in advance!
For random morning stroll:
- anywhere! Except for Ponte Vecchio as you might get separated and lost in the crowd. IMHO you have nothing to regret if you don't go across the bridge. There are several shops and several hundreds of people. Btw I thought that this is the bridge that collapsed in the Parfume movie so I made Telchac watch it with me after we came back just to find out that it was some other bridge in completely different country :D. So if you're not sure, you don't have to watch it, it's not it.
What I wish we'd done:"
- see Michelangelo's David! I somehow did not deal with this in advance and there were no tickets later.
Useful tip: Get the tickets in advance and just go! It's 4-meter statue of a naked man for God's sake! Must-see! ;)
Useful airport tip: As we got a little confused (not lost, definitely not lost :D) the first time we went there (to return our rental), we strongly suggest you make sure you have enough time when heading for the airport, in case the same happens to you.
Thanks for reading, next week we'll check out a small piece of Germany, CU there!
For the views we went for:
- Piazzale Michelangelo - it's uphill - which means you should take some water with you. There are two cafes/restaurants at the top but those were both full when we were there (we bought some water and wine, of course, :D). But that's not the only thing there is, there are people, lots of them. People taking pictures, people blocking your camera, we even saw bride and groom taking pictures. Everybody was taking pictures, us included.
- the Duomo - it's breathtaking! There may be things Italians can't do, but churches are certainly not on that list. The Cupola dei Brunelleschi is the best when it comes to city centre views, and it's a good cardio!
Moreover, there's another HUGE reason to visit the Cupola - when booking the tickets (yes, book them in advance, do not attempt to get them once there) you get to choose the exact time when you're allowed to go in. Yes, you still need to be there let's say 15 minutes before that but queuing for 15 minutes is nothing compared to an hour and a half long queue to the Duomo. Moreover, when going up, you can see inside of the Duomo just fine (if that is not enough for you, then brace yourselves and good luck to you).
Useful tip: the ticket we bought was valid in, I think, 5 different parts/building close to the Duomo. What's really convenient is that your ticket is valid for 72 hours. If you find out there's a long queue to the Duomo you can try next day at some different time. And don't forget to choose the time for the cupola when buying tickets online.
For the wine and food:
- well, you cannot go wrong when it comes to wine and food in Italy. We usually bought wine in small local shops and ate pizza basically anywhere. When we had enough pizza we went for pasta (:D, when in Italy, right?) - if you're there and can't decide - we recommend Osteria Vecchio Vicolo - make a booking in advance!
For random morning stroll:
- anywhere! Except for Ponte Vecchio as you might get separated and lost in the crowd. IMHO you have nothing to regret if you don't go across the bridge. There are several shops and several hundreds of people. Btw I thought that this is the bridge that collapsed in the Parfume movie so I made Telchac watch it with me after we came back just to find out that it was some other bridge in completely different country :D. So if you're not sure, you don't have to watch it, it's not it.
What I wish we'd done:"
- see Michelangelo's David! I somehow did not deal with this in advance and there were no tickets later.
Useful tip: Get the tickets in advance and just go! It's 4-meter statue of a naked man for God's sake! Must-see! ;)
Useful airport tip: As we got a little confused (not lost, definitely not lost :D) the first time we went there (to return our rental), we strongly suggest you make sure you have enough time when heading for the airport, in case the same happens to you.
Thanks for reading, next week we'll check out a small piece of Germany, CU there!