12 hours in Florence

Our buddy Dave -- He's very popular with the ladies. 

We blitzed through Florence in less than 12 hours. We decided to stay one night in Florence because it was much easier to make our train connections to Switzerland than trying to drive from Tuscany (over an hour away) early in the morning, return our rental car and make it to the train station on time. Florence has a special place in my heart, so I was not sad to return for a brief visit.

12pm | Rental Car Return

We dropped our car back off at the airport and took a taxi into the city. We stayed at a little BnB by the Bargello where we've stayed before. It's a decent, clean place but MY GOODNESS the people who work there are quirky... We asked for the WIFI information and then 15 minutes later after they  supplied us with about 20 other bits of information we didn't ask for or need, they finally provided the WIFI. Bless them. 

2pm | Lunch 

Our previous trip to Italy a few years ago and when I was in school there, we stopped for kebabs (basically a Turkish gyro). We asked the folks at our BnB if there was still one near by. She looked super confused. "You want a kebab?" She could not fathom why we'd come to Florence to eat kebabs when there was so many other choices. Oh well, we walked over to the Santa Croce where I remember there being one and ate a fantastic quick lunch. Not very Italian but at the same time, something I ate a lot in Italy and I always think of when I think of Florence. I'm calling it Italian. 

3pm | Duomo, Mercato Centrale, Buying Scarves and Gelato

We FLEW through. Not really intended too, but just seemed to work out that way. Last time we were here, Peter didn't get to see the inside of the Duomo which is BEAUTIFUL. So we waited in the not-to-long line and went inside. Gosh, I love that church. It's both austere (the naves are of the church are largely unadorned) and then stunning (the frescos on the interior of the dome - OMG). 

The Mercato Centrale is a fairly large market near the train station. There is a huge street market (the San Lorenzo Mercato) that wraps around it. When I was in school here, the Mercato Centrale was kind of a dive with traditional shops on the main floor and fruits and veggies on the second floor. They have recently converted the second floor into a fancy new modern market with restaurants, shops and big communal eating areas. So fun! We stopped for some Italian beer before heading out for some shopping. 

I love to shop. And on this trip, I have been very good at not shopping even though it, figuratively, kills me. The deal is, if you can't fit it in the backpack, it has to be worth hauling around Europe or paying extra to ship. I decided that a couple new scarves fit the bill to squeeze into my backpack. Peter kindly wandered around the San Lorenzo with me while I scoped out new scarves. Towards the back of the market, I found TWO. One lovely navy and magenta floral combo and a second mint, gray and white large triangle scarf. Happy lady emerged from the market. 

Finally -- after all that shopping we needed to get some gelato. I happen to think Florence has the best Gelato (although now that we've been to Bologna, I'm not so sure any more!). Either way, we stopped by Perche no? (translation: why not?). It's right off the main street between the Duomo and Piazza della Signoria.  I don't even remember now what we had (probably something with hazelnuts) but I'm sure it was delicious. 

5pm | Nap time

We headed back to our hotel to cool off and rest. The BnB has a lovely, albiet tiny, little terrace upstairs with an peek-a-boo view of the Duomo. Perfect for reading and relaxing. 

8 pm | Sunset walk, dinner at Trattoria Icche c'e c'e, and more gelato

Sunset in Florence is magic. The light is just golden and glowing. Especially from Piazza Michelangelo (above the city) or the Ponte Vecchio. We didn't feel like hiking up to Pizza Michelangelo so we fought the tourists for a spot on the old bridge. Totally worth it.

We finished up our evening with dinner at an old favorite, Trattoria Icche c'e c'e. I have eaten here every time I've come to Florence. Alyssa and I used to eat here, order a carafe of sparkling wine and eat pasta. Such good memories! It hadn't changed much although the menu was a little different (no fried bread!) but we still had a good time. We sat next to a group of college girls who were hysterical.  I wonder if that's how we sounded when we were there during college... Hmmmm... 

Last but not least, our final gelato in Italy at Gelateria dei Neri. Another old favorite. Still just as delightful as we remembered!

We headed back to our BnB, slept for a few hours before heading out early for our 10am train to Switzerland!