When we first booked our honeymoon the plan was to fly into Rome and then immediately hop on the train and stay in Florence for 4 days, then come back to Rome for the remaining time. A few months before the wedding the thought of having to change hotels halfway through our honeymoon seemed less than appealing so we decided to stay in Rome the entire time and take day trips to neighboring cities. I am so glad we decided to do this and it ended up working out great.
We headed to Florence on our 3rd day. The train station or “termini” was a short 10 minute cab ride from our hotel. Our train left around 11:00am and we were in Florence by 12:30pm. We took the Eurostar which was the faster of the two kinds of trains offered. It was more expensive, but the other trains weren’t as nice and doubled your travel time. The Eurostar was clean, the seats were roomy, and they reclined a lot. We were expecting the train to be more like plane seating but it was so much better. There was also a drink and food bar in the middle of the train.
The gorgeous view on the way into Florence. It was so nice to get out of the big city.
Our first stop in Florence was the Duomo and it was a short 10 minute walk from the train station. One thing we loved about Florence the most was that everything was within walking distance and you didn’t have to worry about being run over by a taxi like you did in Rome.
Inside the church. I lit an candle and said a prayer for our family and our marriage.
After the Duomo we walked next door to the Bell Tower and climbed the over 400 stairs to the top. Every 100 steps or so they had a landing where you could look out to the city.
On the way up…
At the top! Our legs were tired but it was so beautiful!
I stood at the top for a while and just took in all the sights, smells, and cool breeze. Meanwhile J, who is afraid of heights waited back by the stairwell after getting a quick view:)
After our hike up the stairs we worked up quite an appetite and found a little outdoor restaurant. Sparkling wine makes everything better.
Pineapple, ham, and mushroom for J and ham, artichoke, mushroom, and green pepper for me. I was totally surprised when my green peppers were actually yellow, but still tasted just like green.
After lunch we waited in line to see The David. Right after J snapped this picture a museum guard came running over screaming “no photos! no photos!” J gets embarrassed easily so I was hysterical. Not long after this a voice came over the intercom reminding people that photos are prohibited. At least he got an amazing picture.
By 7:00pm we were ready to head back to the train station and ran into a protest along the way. The protest was extremely peaceful and the police escorted the protestors throughout the streets. We didn’t feel unsafe at all.
J and I both agree that Florence was by far our favorite city of the whole trip. It was big but not too big and it was the perfect mix of country and city.
Next up, The Vatican!
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