Italy 2011 – Parte II: Firenze (1)

My mother, Viet and I have just got back from an amazing trip to Italy! My mother was supposed to travel with us originally but some hiccups led her to arrive 2 days later… So we had 2 days for ourselves to discover what Florence has to offer….

So…. what to prepare before you head to Firenze??

1. Florence Everyman Mapguide (Love it!!!)

2. Firenze Card (It costs ONLY €50 for 72 hours and gives you the admission to more many many museums in Florence, including the famous Galleria degli Uffizi, Galleria dell’Accademia, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Museo di Palazzo Vecchio (these are MUST-GO places in Firenze) and many many more!!!!!! What’s also awesome is you are entitled to use public transport free of charge. We did not use the bus at all as we loved walking around the city as it is the work of art itself!!!

(I took this picture!!!)

3. Consider a short day trip to Pisa and purchase your train tickets at Trenitalia.

4. Hotel researching is a tough process I believe and thank god my boyfriend has always been so amazing with all his choices! I always trust him completely when it comes to finding a place to stay! Considering we only looked for hotel 2-3 weeks before the actual travel date (pardon our planning… My mother wasn’t so sure with her arrival dates and my Schenghen visa process was so slow) and it’s a high tourist season, we were incredibly lucky to find such a place that is super-central located: Hotel Alessandra !!! 2-5 minute walk from all the amazing sightseeings, museums such as the Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio, Ferragamo Museum is also on the same street!!

In front of the hotel. All the staffs were very very friendly and we had such a pleasant stay!

Inside the hotel

The pretty street that leads to the hotel

Just 2 minute walk and you will reach..

Ferragamo Museum and shop

Walk for another 5′ and you will reach the Uffizi!!!

The bustling neighbourhood right at the foot of Ponte Vecchio (inevitably crowded by tourists)

From Uffizi, it will be another 3-5 minute walk to the Duomo, a MUST-SEE of course..

In front of Giotto’s Campanile (the bell tower)

Yes Yes Yes 🙁 I climbed 400 steps in that pair of wedges!!!! At first it was okay… but it got really painful as I visited the Uffizi and walked through the city the whole day! I got serious blisters and had to wear flats in the following few days!!

View of the Dome from the bell tower, it really is a birds eye view that takes you back in time, to when Florence’s name rang gloriously throughout Europe…

The beautiful marble façade of the Duomo, completed in 19th century, after approx. 3 centuries going through without a permanent façade. This monumental Florentine structure, believe it or not, spent that period with temporary façade and, at certain times, was even covered by a canvas curtain.

The east doors (widely referred to as Gates of Paradise) and north doors of  the Baptistry, the masterpieces which Lorenzo Ghiberti devoted 50 years of his life to complete.

Gelato in Florence, need I say more? Simply divine! We went to Gellateria Perchè No! on Via dei Tavolini, 2 blocks away from the Duomo. This gellateria has been in business since 1939 (yes, 1939, it is not rare to see restaurants running for decades or more, but that was my first time seeing an ice cream parlour being so consistent). Lovely gellato, and they have these cute benches right in front of the shop for travellers like us.

Thank god I was on holidays!!! hehehe

Me in the Ufizzi after the wonderful (but absolutely feet-killing) 2 hour strolling inside, due to prohibition of photo taking in the gallery, we could not record the amazing pieces that we saw, I do understand the reason but can’t help feeling a glimpse of disappointment. Well, this staircase was pretty much the only place we could get a picture of, in the back you can see some portraits and busts of the influential figures of the Medici. My feet by then were already dying…

To be continued…