Italia

 Bologna

 Bologna

 Piazza Santa Croce (right by our apartment)

 Ponte Vecchio

 Franny on a carousel in a busy piazza

 Steep climb to the top of the Duomo...

 ... To see this!

 Florence at night

 Palazzo Vecchio

Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore

Nutella croissants and doughnuts for breakfast

On Saturday we arrived back in London... after a fantastic week-long trip to Florence, Italy! For the October half term and for Mom and Dad's 20th anniversary we booked tickets to the Tuscan city. After an early 4 am wake-up on Saturday morning, and a short 2 hour flight through EasyJet, we arrived in Bologna. It was a great start to the trip, especially because after arriving in Florence (by train) it made where we were staying that much more beautiful. Our apartment was the perfect location; near plenty of restaurants, shops, museums, and- of course- gellaterias. While Blogspot might crash if I attempt to write about all of our adventures, I'll include the highlights of the week:

Ponte Vecchio: one of the oldest bridges in the city, and is lined with shops. It's beautiful from afar, and near the Pallazo Vecchio, which houses sculptures such as Michelangelo's David. Overall, we did a lot of walking, which is one of my favorite parts of visiting a new city. It was great to just walk through Florence, looking at the Italian stores, stopping for gelato, and marvelling at the architecture. And we loved the restaurants near the bridge- my favorite meal was probably lunch at Zeb. I had butternut squash ravioli, Dad chose eggplant, and Mom and Franny had fresh pasta with ricotta cheese and pear sauce- so good!

Uffizi Gallery: this museum Mom and I visited on our own, and was very impressive. It's huge, and very confusing (we spent almost an hour searching for a specific painting) but was really interesting. The Uffizi only showcases Italian artists, and I can't remember how many times Mom and I said, "Hey, I know that one!" to different paintings. We saw classics like Botticelli's Spring and The Birth of Venus, and some early Madonna and Baby paintings. The building itself was also beautiful, and the long hallways were lined with statues.

The View from the Duomo: Dad, Franny, and I climbed over 360 steps to see the view from the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. The climb was extremely steep, but well worth it once we reached the top. We had an incredible view of the city and the countryside; all tiled roofs and green hillsides. Really, really beautiful.


It was an amazing trip, from the food to the atmosphere. Amiamo Firenze!