Florence, Italy: Birthplace of the Renaissance. It’s no secret that I’m not exactly a history buff, but Florence is also the gateway to Tuscany and my train ride(s) through Tuscany to and from Cinque Terre two years ago left me knowing I’d be coming back to visit the area in the future. And that future is now. After a tough few weeks, I’m looking forward to spending some time exploring the quieter side of Florence, traveling through the Tuscan countryside, and visiting some of the iconic hill towns.
But first things first. My flight was slightly delayed, which gave me some extra time to enjoy the Lufthansa lounge in Boston. A plate of prosciutto and cheese, a Bavarian pretzel, and a glass of sparkling wine proved to be fortuitous given the quality/choice of food on the plane.
This was my first time flying Swiss Air and although it was fine, it wasn’t the best business class experience I’ve had. It’s not that I’m not always grateful for the opportunity to sit up front, but the seat, amenities, and food were definitely lacking compared to other airlines. The chicken was perhaps the driest it could possibly be and the tiramisu was still frozen when it was served if that gives you an idea. Oh well… I knew that authentic tiramisu would be waiting for me in Italy so I hoped my disappointment would be short-lived. In better news, seeing the Swiss Alps glowing with the first light of day as we made our approach into Zurich (and watching the approach from the camera on the underbelly of the plane) was a special treat.
I had a little time to kill in the Swiss Business Lounge in Zurich where I feasted on scrambled eggs, apple strudel, and a waffle (or two) with vanilla sour cream. My second flight (to Florence) was on Swiss Air’s regional partner, Helvetic Airlines. My warm croissant with butter and apricot marmalade made for a delicious third breakfast of the day. I can’t imagine there’s a more beautiful way to get to Florence than flying over the Alps and then descending down into the rolling green hills of Tuscany.
It was a quick tram ride from the airport to my hotel, where I was only able to drop off my bags before heading back out. It was a glorious 75 degrees with sunny skies today in Florence. I first made a stop at the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, a church with beautiful chapels and several cloisters not too far from my hotel.
Next it was across the Arno River to visit the Oltrarno neighborhood (literally, the “other side of the Arno”). I wandered around a little and then made my way up to the Boboli Gardens. The gardens are quite popular, especially on a sunny Saturday afternoon. While I enjoyed my walk, the gardens are built on a hill and are filled with mostly hedge-style gardens and sculptures, rather than flowers. It’s also quite large and took me almost two hours to see. Since I could save 5 euro by visiting the Bardini Gardens on the same day, I took advantage of the deal. Had I looked more closely at pictures online before visiting, I would have prioritized the Bardini Gardens. There were more flowers there, including a wisteria pergola in full bloom. As it was, I was tired, hungry, and thirsty so I maybe saw half of it before heading to the exit.
Not only were the gardens crowded today, the streets of Florence were as well. And I hate crowds. I consulted my paper map (yes, paper) for directions to Gustapizza, also in the Oltrarno neighborhood. Florence isn’t known for its pizza, but this pizza hit the spot with four cheeses and prosciutto along with my favorite Italian lemon soda.
By the time dinner was over, I was pooped. I had time and room in my stomach for a stop at Sbrino Gelato for a small cup of pistachio and egg cream gelato on my way back to the hotel. My first hotel room was cramped and awkward, but (luckily for me) there were also a few issues with it so I was moved to a more spacious room with a balcony that has a better view of the Tuscan hills. And if you’re reading this shortly after it was posted, it is now Sunday morning. I hit my wall quickly last night and opted for sleep over finishing the blog and editing pictures. (Don’t worry… there will be another blog post coming later today!)
Traveling with Laura 