Being a Tourist in Florence

Drinks at the Duomo

On Friday night, Emily, Christian and I took a train from the town of Vernazza in Cinque Terre to Florence! While they were here I played tour guide. It was so great to be walking around the city and realize that I actually know where I'm going for the most part and be able to talk about things a bit. We visited the Palazzo Vecchio, Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, and Santa Maria Novella, among many other places. We walked A LOT. On Saturday, it absolutely poured. I have not seen this much rain in Florence since I arrived. Figures that when the people visiting from rainy London visit it pours in Florence. But we decided to climb the Duomo on Saturday, which was absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, the rain made the top a little chilly. The climb up is 463 stairs, and my legs were already burning from the previous days' hike in Cinque Terre, but it was absolutely worth it. Such a cool perspective of the Duomo and the city. After that we found a place for dinner where we ate pasta and drank wine and eventually received complimentary limoncello (my first time having it in Italy!) After that we got drinks and sat on the stairs of the Duomo to recount our past couple days. It felt like such a Florence thing to do...it was the perfect end to the day.

View from the top of the Duomo

The Giotto Tower 

On Sunday, we did another climb, to the top of the belltower (Giotto tower). This one was only a mere 414 steps. My legs still haven't recovered, and muscles hurt that I didn't even know I had. But Sunday was sunny, so the view was absolutely amazing. You could see everything for miles and miles, including the countryside beyond Florence. I think I actually liked the belltower views better
, because you could see the Duomo from up close as well, which was very cool.

The climb up these monuments, however, was slightly difficult. They are old buildings, with very narrow staircases that often times are spiral, and people are trying to go up and down them which means you literally have to hold on to the walls at times. Honestly, some of the people trying to get up and down these staircases past other people were brutal. On my way up the stairs of the Duomo I had a little British girl counting every step. For the first 50 it was cute, for the last 413, not so much. And the 15 person tour groups trying to clamor their way up these itty bitty stairs were equally interesting. On the way up to the top of the belltower I watched a man be taken out with the hiking poles sticking out of the backpack of another hiker. And even when I was flat against the wall waiting for people to pass me, there was a constant touching. This is not an activity for people who are claustrophobic...There is no personal space. Despite this, I'm so glad I did it. The views from the top were enough to make me forget how trying the climb was.
 Another Florence tourist necessity checked off!

View from the top of Giotto Tower

XOXO