Under the Tuscan Sun...in Florence, Italy! - Part I

Ever since I was a small child I have wanted to visit Italy. It's always been number one on my list of places to visit in Europe. Maybe it's the countless Italian calendars full of photos of the Italian countryside I used to buy or maybe it's my love of Italian food that sparked my interest in visiting Italy but either way, it has always been my dream vacation. Lucky for me, my best friend, Stephanie, is currently studying abroad in Florence, Italy! So for Columbus Day weekend, I decided to hop on a train and travel to Italy for the very first time. (If you're wondering why Nick didn't come, he had to stay in Germany due to Army circumstances...not a lot of traveling allowed right now due to everything going on in the world...catch my drift?)

Florence is a magnificent city. Cobblestone streets, numerous piazzas and Renaissance architecture. All this and more can be found in Florence. From the moment I stepped off the train I was enamored by everything in the city. My first night in Florence started off with dinner at Cafe Duomo right below...you guess it...The Duomo. Stephanie, her roommates and I had a delicious pasta bolognese (actually the roommates had lasagna) and we followed up with some tasty gelato at a nearby gelato shop. Yum!

The next day Stephanie showed me around Florence. Stephanie lives in the center of Florence. I mean smack dab in the middle of everything. So having lived there for almost two months, she already knows her way around pretty well. Stephanie showed me around the many piazzas in Florence, Ponte Vecchio and we even did some shopping. I ended up taking a gazillion pictures that day, captivated by the architecture and beauty of Florence's bustling streets.

Sunday was spent lounging around, getting lunch and also visiting the most frequented museum in Florence: Galleria dell'Academia. It houses Michelangelo's famous David statue so it's pretty obvious why the museum is so popular. I had no idea how massive the statue of David was until I stepped into the room it's in. It's HUGE!

After seeing the David, we wandered around some more and visited the other exhibits in the Accademia. It was mind blowing reading the descriptions on some of the artifacts. Some of the pieces were created BEFORE CHRIST! I can't believe pieces of art that old still exist. I was in such awe to be in the presence of something so ancient with so much history attached to it. 

Stay tuned for Part II of my weekend trip to Florence!