Florence (aka Firenze)

 

Florence, aka Firenze, is quite the city!  There's too much to see in just a couple days, depending on what you want to see and do.  However, if you do only have a couple days you can still see and experience a lot, like I did.  I traveled there by train in the spring of 2023 from my home base in the Cinque Terre (first class on TrenItalia is nice for more legroom by the way).

My approach to Florence was pretty simple and revolved around three things.  

1. to see some museums and key sights
2. enjoy food, wine, coffee, pastries, etc... (sustenance is needed after all the walking of course)
3. explore and enjoy photography (film and digital)!

For popular museums like the Uffizi, getting a ticket online can save you time and stress.  I spent a couple hours there and it has a lot of excellent art to see from well known and lesser know artists as well.

Getting tickets ahead is advised for the baptistry, museum, the Duomo, also (they have combo tickets available; climbing the dome or bell tower is even an option).  I focused my time on the baptistry and museum as well as seeing the splendid Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore from the outside (even better at sunrise if you get the chance).  It must have been amazing to attend a service at the Duomo shortly after it was finished!

For a hotel or place to stay it's helpful to have a spot in the historic part of the city that's walkable to most places.  You can get to most places on foot if you don't mind putting some steps in.  My hotel was close to the Piazza della Repubblica.  It also had a small rooftop area that afforded some solace and great views.

(view from my hotel)

Speaking of putting some steps in, the Boboli gardens are a grand location to take in the views and escape the crowds.  There's so much to see and I didn't actually see it all before my stomach told me it was time to find some great pasta, which I did in the Oltrarno.  It's hard to imagine this large garden area being private for the Medici family many years ago.

Other sights that I enjoyed seeing were: Piazza della Repubblica, Palazzo Vecchio (look for the face on the outside wall near the Uffizi by the way), Ponte Vecchio (which you can get a great view of from the Uffizi), the Oltrarno (great restaurants, nice church, and Piazza Santo Spirito), and many fun details as well.  These fun details included: sign art, the lily of Florence, lions, and much more!

Caffè Gilli is worth a stop for great coffee and pastries.  Visit the bar if you'd like the more economical prices, versus dining at a table.  It's located right in Piazza della Repubblica which is a very nice area.

Here are a few more photo and video highlights that hopefully will inspire your own travel plans.

(The amazing original baptistry doors are in the museum.)

Did I like Florence?  Very much so.  In fact, I'm looking forward to going back some day.

Thanks for stopping by and reading this far.  I hope that you enjoyed this short overview of Florence.  I could have shared more but wanted to keep this fairly short.  I benefited from using online resources and a good guide book to plan, as well as just exploring on my own.

I've been blessed to have readers from various countries. Feel free to say hello in the comments and perhaps share where you would like to travel. 

If you enjoyed this please support my work - https://bmc.link/havecarryonwilltravel . Thank you.  

If you'd like more inspiration for your own travels then please check out my YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@havecarryonwilltravel or Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/havecarryonwilltravel/ .

P.S. This blog uses some affiliate links so that I can keep bringing you great independent content.

 

  John 3:16 ✝

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Vernazza and the hike to Monterosso al Mare

Vernazza is a beautiful town in the Cinque Terre.  It can get quite busy during the day but if you come in the morning or later in the day you'll find less people typically.  A lot of folks come during the day either by train or by boat.  I went there a couple times during my trip in the spring of 2023.  Once I went late in the afternoon, around 4 pm, to do the hike from there to Monterosso al Mare (more on that below).  The other time I came back in the morning to visit the helpful Poste Italiane office and then I grabbed a good breakfast as well at Il Pirata delle 5 Terre.

Vernazza is a quick train trip from the other Cinque Terre towns like Monterosso, and not too far from other nearby towns like Levanto.  My choice for a home base was Monterosso al Mare.

The town has nice sites like: the quaint Church of St. Margaret of Antioch, the small beach and marina area, the Doria tower / castle, as well as exploring shops and restaurants.  I would imagine that if one stayed in a rental or hotel here that you might get a better sense of its charms in the morning or evening when it's less busy.

Amazing views can be had if you're willing to tackle some stairs and explore the little side streets.  Views like this one below for example!

The hike from Vernazza to Monterosso al Mare is challenging but stunning views are waiting for those who persevere the rocky trail.  Of course it's good to do it when it's not too hot.  It's a memorable hike but best to be prepared and only go when it's dry as there's lots of rocks.  Late in the day in the spring you might not need a park pass.  I did not need one in 2023 late in the day in springtime.  No flip flops are allowed and it's about 2 hours long.

vineyards near Monterosso al Mare

The hike was quite fun for me even though it was challenging.  I just made sure I was careful but also enjoyed moments along the way to take some digital and film photos.  The postal office in Vernazza helped me mail back my exposed film to the USA by the way.

When you reach the end you might just opt to have some fresh focaccia at one of the best places around - Il Frantoio.  I hope that you enjoyed this short overview of Vernazza and one of the hikes available in that area.

If you enjoyed this please support my work - https://bmc.link/havecarryonwilltravel . Thank you.  

If you'd like more inspiration for your own travels then please check out my YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@havecarryonwilltravel or Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/havecarryonwilltravel/ .

P.S. This blog uses some affiliate links so that I can keep bringing you great independent content.

 

  John 3:16 ✝

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