what’s to love in florence
I had a hard time loving Florence. Maybe it’s a fulfillment of the prophecy, or maybe it was that when I arrived, the city was gray and chilly and constantly on the verge of rain. And crowded. So very crowded.
After Venice, where there were no cars, no mopeds (gah, the mopeds!), the congestion of Florence’s streets was jarring. Crossing the road to get my first peek at the Ponte Vecchio (literal translation: really old bridge), gas fumes burned my nostrils, a rogue moped tried to shorten my life and I thought, “This can’t be Florence.”
Things picked up a day or two later when I got locked out of my hostel (2AM curfew. Who knew?) and wandered the streets at 5AM taking blurry photos of the lights on the Arno. But at the moment, I was pretty disappointed.
Then things picked up. The sun came out. I explored the Boboli Gardens, met some great people in line at the Uffizi and… ate. The food in Florence was outstanding. I’ve already raved about the soups. Though Florence was not my favorite, I can understand why people love it.
May I offer a couple tips? The Uffizi (along with most everything else) is closed on Monday. The rest of the week, you can either wait in line (first thing in the morning, I waited less than 30 minutes), or buy a reservation to come back at an appointed hour to see the museum. Don’t miss Michaelangelo’s David at the Academia. Climb the campanile at the Duomo. Climb the cupola at the Duomo. Climb anything that begs climbing. The view is always worth the effort and the Euros.
Missing your American sports and related conversation? Head to Lion’s Fountain on Borgo Albizi. Flat screens and lots of American students make for a lot of fun, if you’re missing the familiarity of home.
I’m so sorry that Florence wasn’t as good to you as it was to me. Although I have to go to Venice, my trip a few weeks ago to Florence was amazing.
If you are still there got the Mercato Centrale- there is a sandwich shop in the back with the best roast beef ever, my favorite meal was Osteria di Giovanni, and Il Fratellini also has the best panino (lardo is amazing).
Ahhh I miss it, I’m living vicariously through you right now.
Although I’d love to go back and explore more of rural Tuscany, I’d have to say Florence was probably my least favorite large city in Italy (that I’ve been to). I never did understand the fascination so many people have with it…a good friend of mine always says it’s her favorite city in all of Europe to which I just say “huh?”.
One of the best things I did in all of Europe while backpacking was go on a bike tour through Tuscany in Florence. It was a small tour of six, and we went to a couple private wineries in the hills, tried the wine, ate some bread with olive oil, rode bikes through the windy roads, then stopped for a six-course homemade lunch at an Italian villa overlooking the hills. DIVINE.
I have to agree with you, Fish. I made a week long trip to Italy where I stayed in Venice, Florence, and Rome for two nights a piece. After Venice, Florence made me feel as though I were being punished for some unknown reason. If it weren’t for some of the amazing historical sites, I wouldn’t recommend Florence to any traveler simply because it’s nothing out of this world. David is outstanding and awesome without a doubt.
Yeah, I”m not a huge fan of Florence, either. Tiring. If you haven’t already left and you’re looking for yummy food, a funky environment and running into a variety of mostly travelers, I’d recommend checking out Trattoria Za-Za in the Piazza del Mercato Centrale.
Florence is one of my favorite cities by far, but I can totally see how many people would hate it. I think it is similar to New York in a way…it’s gritty and crowded and can kind of smell, its charm is not obvious like a Boston or a Paris. For this reason I think Florence is not a good place to go for long weekend…it takes time to find the charm, but once you do it is one of the most amazing cities!
Thanks for all the stories
Babe…I adore Florence and could actually live there if I had the chance. Wish I had known you were doing Italy. Iwould have given you all the details of Florence, Venice, and Pisa. Just promise me that you went to the Leather School hidden behind Santa Croce and bought something nice…