Travel Diaries - Florence, Italy, Europe 2016 (4)

Travel Diaries - Florence, Italy, Europe 2016 (4)

So, finally after bidding goodbye to Venice we took a Euro rail to Florence and began our next leg of the trip. It is only 2 hours from Venice and the journey is beautiful. 

Wine and coffee by the bridge and Florence river 

Meal at II Borro Tuscan Bistro

Meal at Ristorante Quinoa, Florence

Accommodation:

In Florence, we stayed at Strozzi palace for two days. A 5-minute walk from Florence Cathedral, this refined downtown hotel is an 8-minute walk from the Uffizi museum and an 11-minute walk from Santa Maria Novella train station. We took the basic room with free wifi and breakfast. It is centrally located and great for visiting the most important sights in the city. 

Things to do as a tourist:

- Piazza della Republica, Duomo is the main sightseeing area which was walking distance from our hotel. Uffizi gallery is also further ahead. Use Google maps if you get lost. Post lunch we had a great time shopping and couple of hours in the glorious scenery. It is the street that seamlessly blends in the past with the present. The night was abuzz with conversation, music and laughter. 

- Gawk at an architectural masterpiece

The result of work spanning more than six centuries, the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore – better known simply as ‘Duomo’ – not only dominates the skyline but also represents the geographical, cultural and historical centre of the city. Admission to the cathedral itself is free, but it’ll cost you €8 to go up inside the spectacular, 37,000-tonne dome and €6 to check out Campanile – the three-floor, 414-step bell tower. Both are thoroughly worth the cash (provided you’re not averse to physical exertion or tight spaces) – just try to arrive early since traffic gets extremely heavy by midday.

Honestly, I did not happen to go inside. I leave it up to you

- Florence is famous for its out-of-town fashion outlets, but if you only have time to do one, make it the Mall (via Europa 8, Leccio Reggello, +39 55 865 7775). Just a half-hour drive from the city, it’s home to many designer names, including Fendi, Armani, Gucci, Stella McCartney and Valentino, all of them offering discounts from 30% to 70%.

Travelling tips:

- If you are travelling to Europe in the season which is summer, Florence should be there in your itinerary. Many people skip it and end up taking day trips from Rome. But Florence is real and has its own city charm.

- You can ideally cover Florence in a day but there are day trips from Florence to cover the entire breathtaking Tuscany region. Florence comes in Tuscany region and there are gorgeous sightseeing tours which I will elaborate in my next post.

From Florence, one must cover Tuscany countryside tours and Leaning tower of Pisa tour which can be covered in a full day.

Culinary Delights:

II Borro Tuscan Bistro (Neighbourhood Uffizi, Lungarno Acciaiuoli 80r) - I am not really much into Tuscan food. 

Ristorante Quinoa (Vicolo di Santa Maria Maggiore 1)

When you discover gluten free restaurant in Italy too from the usual Italian. I was jumping with joy. As food in Italy can usually be a concern for many who are not too much into Italian food. 

Read my review here on Tripadvisor. 

I will be sharing my next day travel escapades to Tuscany region including Pisa in the next post. 

Read more about my first leg of travel escapades here 1: Vienna Diaries

Read more about my second leg of travel escapades here 2: Salzburg Diaries

Read more about Venice here: Timeless Venice & Venice Culinary Delights

Read about Tuscany, Pisa here: Tuscany, Pisa

Read about Rome here: Rome

If you have any queries, feel free to reach out to me anytime!

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