After Rome, we headed next to Florence and I have to say, that besides Copenhagen, Florence is probably my favorite European city. It was so different than Rome. Personally, I thought that it had so much more charm than Rome (just my opinion.. don’t hate me those of you that like Rome better).
Florence was so picturesque ( like to the extreme)!! Every single street we went down was exactly like what I had pictured Italy would be like. And the food, don’t even get me started!! Gelato, pasta, paninis, and cannoli (as you can see I still very much took advantage of the amazing food.. so not much changed from Rome in this respect).
Sarah and I stayed with one of my best friends from school Nicole. And Nicole went above and beyond in every respect!! She took us to all of her favorite (and the best) places to see and eat, hung out with us, bought us cocktails on a rooftop bar over looking the duomo and Santa Croce, and even gave me her bed to sleep in (you see i wasn’t kidding she was fantastic). But I just loved seeing my friend so comfortable and happy and absolutely thriving in her new home. That made me so happy!
On the first day we were on our own for the beginning part of the day, since Nicole was in class, but Sarah and I kept ourselves very busy adventuring around the city. We started with a trip to the Duomo, which was breathtaking. We took countless pictures outside and took a cannoli break right next door before we heading inside to see the rest of the church.
We then walked around to Santa Croce. Unfortunately we were unable to go in, but it was still fantastic to see the outside and walk around the square. From there we decided to go into the famous leather school, which is right behind the cathedral. Nicole had been raving about it, so we figured it was worth going in for a little… and I sure am glad I did. I had no idea before I got there, but Florence is very well known for its leather products. And this school right behind Santa Croce teaches people from all over the world how to make leather goods, and then they sell them in the shop right above the workshops. It was so incredible. Granted I couldn’t afford anything in the store (hey, i’m still a struggling college student), however it was great to see all of the quality products (and dream of coming back one day with a less limiting budget).
The next stop was Michelangelo’s David. Sarah and I bought our tickets in advance so we didn’t have to wait too long before we got to go in. When we walked in, it was not long before we saw him. You turn a corner, and then right there, down at the other end of the room, surrounded by a crowd of people, there he is. He was incredibly, and truly remarkable. Now I understood what all the fuss was about.
And funnily enough I was appreciating the sculpture when all of a sudden I turn to see a man wearing a “Providence College” vest, and see that he is attached to my friend Maggie from school (insert “It’s a Small World After All” Disney song). She was with her parents, and we caught up for a little bit before they had to leave. Such a funny and truly great coincidence.
Anyways, by the time we left the Galleria dell’Accademia we were starving! We met Nicole for lunch at most amazing Panini place for lunch after the the David. It was called Pinos Sandwiches and I got their special panini of the day. I consumed every bite in literally 4-5 minutes (partly because I was starving, but mostly because it was amazing). The great part about Pinos too was that, they knew him! Nicole and her roommate seemed to actually be good friends with Pino!
The next day we didn’t do much, but walk get a late brunch and walk around the city and take in as much of it as we could. However, we finished the day on a real high with a trip to Piazza del Michelangelo. Nicole, being the fantastic host she was, packed up her Vera Bradley backpack with wine, chocolate (which she had gotten from her trip to Switzerland the week before), chips, crackers, and popcorn. We then trekked up to the the top of the hill/mountain/stairs (not entirely sure but it was very steep hahaha) in order to reach the plaza up top. And wow!! The view did not disappoint. Completely breathtaking. You could see the entire city, and all of the surrounding towns and mountains. Honestly, I could have stayed there for the rest of the trip!
We finished the day walking around the city more. And of course having a fantastic pasta dinner!
The new day on Thursday brought a new city as well. So Sarah and I hoped on a train and headed for the coast. Venice was up next, and continuing theme, it did not disappoint as well.
Part 3 will be up soon! Thanks for reading!
Peace, Love, and Copenhagen Florence,
Caroline
Caroline Comes to Copenhagen 