Fun in Firenze

10 Hours of travel, one way

9 Flavors of gelato sampled

8+ happy hours of walking each day

7 Virtues in our favorite piece in the Uffizi

6 hours spent in world class museums

5.17 metres of marble of Micaelangelo's David

4 different kinds of pizza eaten

3 happy travel companions

2 blissful hours spent listening to live music in the Palazzo Vecchio

1 unforgettable weekend

If there is one word for Florence, it is charming. Charming not just in an "oh, how delightfully wonderful" sort of way but also in a way that sweeps you off your feet leaving you breathless and in awe! From its quaint streets lined with trattorias and gelaterias to its majestic cathedrals (creme de la creme of course would be the Duomo), to its gorgeous Tuscan countryside just cross the River Arno, Florence has won its place in my heart as my favorite Italian city.

My cousin Erik and I arrived in Florence at 1am Friday morning to be greeted by one of my nearest and dearest friends, the wonderful Kenzie Kaper, leaning out of our charming hostel window! What a blissful reunion it was, indeed! Kenzie has been studying at Franklin College in Lugano, Switzerland and has the incredible opportunity of being an archaeologist for the summer at a Tuscan dig site. To be visiting her now in Europe is a long-awaited dream come true! I am so proud of her and the strong, beautiful and independent woman and world traveler she has become. To be reunited with her now in one of the world's most beautiful cities is pure bliss! 7 months apart but it only
felt like days :) Oh, the blessings of 9+ years of friendship :)

Waking early the next morning, the three of us ventured to explore the city by foot.

My first meal in Florence was a turkey and mozzarella croissant enjoyed in one of Florence's many beautiful Piazzas.

We had 2 hours to kill before our 11am tickets to the outstanding Museo di Uffizi and spent that time exploring the streets, finding ourselves at Ponte Vecchio, Florence's iconic bridge across the River Arno. Gorgeous!

*Funny story, we spent an hour and a half wandering and looking for the Uffizi--come to find out, it was only a 5 minute walk from our hostel! Whoops!

We happened to just end up taking the "scenic" route ;) But we got a great feel for the city while we were at it...no better way to explore!

Now, let me tell you about the Uffizi....AH-MAY-ZING! Blessed to be travelling with two other museum junkies, Kenzie, Erik, and I bought the well-worth-it audio guide (per suggestion of Uncle Julian) and stopped and marveled at almost every painting on the first floor. Our favorites were the Seven Virtues by Piero del Pollaiol, especially the first one, Fortitude, which was painted by Botticelli, on the far left. We also loved Botticelli's Spring and Birth of Venus. Aren't they beautiful? *Note, pictures taken from the Uffizi website--the guards there will literally swat you with a brochure if you try!*

But of course, there is nothing that is not beautiful in the museum! Even the view captured from it's second floor terrace window shown below!

After 2.5 hours, we sadly had to part company with the Uffizi to catch our appointment with the David at the Accademia.

We anticipated that three hours in the Uffizi would be plenty, but for lovers of fine art and sculpture, give yourselves 6! We all vowed to come back one day to spend another 3 hours on the second floor :) *also note, purchase your tickets in advance for the Uffizi and Accademia--you have to choose time slots in advance but it's a way quicker option than standing in line for tickets there!*

On our way to the Accademia, Erik and I were able to cross Italian Pizza off of our bucket lists :)

Another treat was in store for these museum lovers in the magnificent Accademia! We first toured the exhibit of musical instruments, but of course what really stole the show was The David. WOW. A whole entire room is dedicated to the magnificent marble masterpiece and appropriately so! Absolutely breathtaking. We had a ball capturing ourselves in front of the statue from all angles.

The David is naturally the iconic figure of the city of Florence for many reasons. It was so neat to go back into 1 Samuel 15-18 to read the story of the "man after God's own heart" to envision the moment this statue was carved for. David slayed the giant Goliath not with sword and shield (King Saul's armor was too big to fit him) but with God's power alone and one small stone in a sling! 

"As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. REaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him."

{1 Samuel 17:48-50}

The plaque in front of the statue states that "David represents the city for his intellect and innocence and winning was because God was on his side." What an absolutely beautiful testament to the Lord's power glorified through man's obedience and what a powerful icon for the city to be founded upon!

I love David's words to Goliath just before defeating him: 

"All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands" 

(1 Samuel 17:47).

David had beautiful humility and trust in the Lord's strength and faithfulness to deliver His children! I pray that I might have the same trust in the Lord in my own battles.

In Michaelangelo's masterpiece, you can just feel David's humility and regality-- he was a man of confidence, not in his own abilities but in the Lord's. The Bible describes him as "handsome and youthful" and Michaelangelo captured that essence with incredible accuracy. Kenzie, Erik and I spent probably a good forty-five minutes sitting and marveling at the statue's beauty and intricacy of the marble. A beautiful place with wonderful conversation, my favorite :)

We finally tore ourselves away from The David to check out the rest of the Accademia. I was particularly struck by The Annunciation by Paolo Veronese, especially with the meaning behind each flower intricately painted on the floor surrounding the Virgin Mary.

Here are the descriptions for each flower found on the plaque below the painting. In my opinion, these descriptions are what made the painting so majestic.

*Note, picture above is also taken from online. The Accademia and Uffizi were understandably quite strict on the photographs*

~Lily: always present in representations of the Annunciation, borne in the hand of the Archangel Gabriel to symbolize chastity and virginity

~Cornflower: intense blue color alludes to Paradise and which flowers in fields of grain, symbol of Christ

~Jasmine: flower dedicated to the Madonna, representing the grace and elegance of the Virgin

~Broom: its beautiful yellow flowers emit scent only when touched by the sun and which thus symbolizes Christ's incarnation, the moment in which Mary receives the Holy Ghost (this description was my especial favorite...and the flower is yellow, my favorite color! I love that it only flowers when touched by Christ. Isn't that so true of us?)

~Tulip: a flower that dies away from the sun and is therefore symbolic of the search for Divine love and of the Virgin's suffering at the Crucifixion of her Son

Leaving the Accademia, it was high time for the first gelato of the trip. A refreshing limone for both Kenzie and I and raspberry for Erik. We sat on a curb in the Palazzo Duomo and people watched, enjoying the beauty and bustle of Florence.

Taking a quick afternoon nap, we went to dinner at Acqua al 2...delicioso!! Our dear friend Carly spent a year studying in Florence and recommended this fantastic restaurant, and boy, are we glad we took her advice! The three of us shared a multi-course meal spending 2.5 hours savoring every bite of food and every bit of conversation. It is meals like this that reaffirm why I am a foodie :) Food is so much more than what you eat to live-- it is an experience and a lifestyle. To savor and enjoy God's natural ingredients combined with a chef's creativity with the people you love-- it warms the heart and fills the soul!

Our favorites:

Spinach and Feta Fusilli

Tomato and Eggplant Farfalle

Broccoli shells

and mmmmm, don't get me started on the blueberry balsamic sirloin!

To top off the perfect night, we headed to Carly's favorite gelato shop, Vivoli.

Amy: Fico and tiramisu

Kenzie: Crema

Erik: Fragola e limone

Tastebuds tingling, tummies happy and hearts filled with wonderful moments and rich conversations, we turned in for night #1.

Day 2:

Nothing says “good morning” like a brisk 463 step climb up the dome of a cathedral! 10 euros for a priceless view (and skipping hours of lines to enter the cathedral from the ground and see it from the rafters above) : HIGHLY recommended! The place to buy those tickets is, facing the main doors of the Duomo in the Piazzo, behind your left shoulder, a few shops down in the back corner.

I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves of how beautiful the city of Florence is from a bird's eye view atop the Duomo.

Later, we wound our way to a market across town, a delightful little indoor market filled with fresh fruit, veggies, meats, and all kinds of fun pastas, cheeses, and oils!

Funny story: Erik spotted a “sample” plate of prosciutto and crackers and I followed suit (Costco has trained us well)…well, turns out those weren’t samples and we got chased off by a very angry and loud Italian butcher! Oops! ;)

Picking up a fresh caprese salad, we walked to the Garden di Biboli for our picnic lunch. It was GLORIOUS! After picnicking on the steps in the shade, we wandered the garden and enjoyed the beautiful views of the garden, countryside, and city from afar. 

The afternoon’s adventures had made these three adventurers sleepy and we turned in for a 3 hour nap, waking up chipper and hungry!

Now 3 for 3 on recommendations, we took Carly’s advice and went to her favorite little pizza joint in the city—and it did not disappoint! No name on the door, a queue that starts a half hour before the doors opened and only 3 pizzas on the menu, we knew this was going to be good! And of course, we ordered all 3 pizzas ;) For those who might want to find it, look for the gelato place Vivoli. With Vivoli on your left you should see Cafe Italiana. Walk past this trattoria and you will see these doors on your left. The place opens at 7:30 for dinner but we showed up at 7 to get a spot in line. You'll notice locals there lining up around that time too, it's just that good!

Our favorite was the Margherita.

No night in Italy would be complete without…you guessed it, gelato!

Again, Carly knocked it out of the ballpark with a stellar recommendation and I would go so far as to say this was the best gelato I’ve ever had! The place is called Procopio( Via Pietrapiana 60R 50121) a 5 minute walk from Santa Croce.

Award winning, the mandorla, a mixture of pistachios and candied orange peels definitely deserved the title! Add this little shop on your next visit to Firenze!

The Lord was definitely smiling at us this evening, as He had prepared for us the ultimate treat—a live orchestra in the gorgeous Palazzo Vecchio! It was absolutely marvelous sitting in the Palazzo and enjoying the music for hours on end....ahhhhh :) Now this, I could get used to!

Oh, my heart was so happy! Siting under the Florentine moonlight with people I love and listening to outstanding music with an incredible view of some of Florence’s most beautiful buildings and fountain—I could not have asked for a more perfect ending to a more perfect trip :) God has truly spoiled us with these opportunities and memories to laugh a lifetime. If these travels are this wonderful, I can't even imagine what heaven is going to be like!!!

Thank you Kenzie and Erik for making this weekend one that I'll never forget!