Florence!

We checked into our Florence hotel around 5:30 pm Sunday evening, unsure of how we wanted to spend the evening. We definitely didn't need food, and most museums/places we wanted to see were closed for the day. I had read in my "Let's Go Europe" guide book about the Piazza Michaelangelo and its amazing views of the entire city, especially when the sun is setting. I'd also been told by former Study Abroad goers that it's a place you have to get to, so we decided to check it out. The many, many steps up to Piazza Michaelangelo were so worth it, and my year abroad feels that much more complete having been there. We ended our night drinking cappuccinos at a cafe overlooking the city, excited for the next day!

Surprise, surprise! Monday was hot again. But after plenty of cold and cloudy days this year, some heat was a nice change of pace. We checked out Florence's market (another surprise, another market!) and I had a delicious spinach and mozzarella sandwich for breakfast. We learned Florence kind of shuts down on Mondays. A bunch of museums were closed, like the Ufizzi and Accademia, which was a shame because we really wanted to see the David statue and Da Vinci's sketches. This was disappointing, so we re-worked our schedule a little bit and saw a few other cool things we hadn't planned on seeing, like the Badia, a 12th century monastery. We also went to Santa di Croce, where Galileo, Machiavelli, and Michaelangelo were buried, which I thought was especially cool and beautiful. We also went into the Duomo, a huge, central meeting place in Florence with an incredible dome.

Highlight #1 of Florence: GROM. It changed the way I thought about gelato. That's a little dramatic, but Kristin and I agree it really was the best gelato we had the whole trip. Caramel and chocolate - absolutely perfect.

Highlight #2: Everyday at 5:40, up at the church in Piazza Michaelangelo, the monks start chanting. It's an incredible thing to hear. They are not doing it for tourists or because people are watching. They are solely focused on their relationship with God. Witnessing that was very special.

We had the most amazing dinner Monday night at a restaurant suggested by Mattea and Emily. Their Italian knowledge was very helpful! The restaurant was called Quattro Leoni, and it was a meal I will not soon forget. White lasagna with artichokes. YUM! Afterwards, we went to a restaurant we had passed on our way to Piazza Michaelangelo for dessert. 

On our way back to the hotel, we stopped in Piazza Republicana where we heard a beautiful violin and bass playing together. A lit up carousel was in the background, a man walked around selling roses, and a street artist was creating art in front of us. A bunch of Italian teenagers, probably 16 or 17, enjoyed all of this activity, dancing around with one another and laughing out loud, loving life. So cool, right?! My friends and I didn't hang out in piazzas when we were 16 listening to street music. Italy seemed very cool at that moment. But I was also very grateful I got to experience that moment, too!

Florence was a very quick trip. We woke up early Tuesday morning and headed straight to Rome. I hope to return to Florence one day, just not on a Monday when places are closed!


Slan!