Florence Museums: Powering Through Five Museums in a Day Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance and the city is packed with museums. But on a trip with our two middle schoolers, for whom Renaissance art meant very little, we settled on a model any visitor can use to achieve maximum museum exposure with minimum time, with or without kids. The secret is threefold: a small and walkable city, ... Read Full Article
Eat, Pray, Love Florence: Florence’s Sacred Sites
Duly fueled after sating myself with great Florentine food, I now take a day to explore Florence’s sacred sites, notably its many beautiful churches. The traditional subdivision of Florence into four sectors—Santa Maria Novella, San Giovanni, Santa Croce, and Santo Spirito—dates to the 14th century, with each quarter presided over by its own major church. Centuries later, the churches ... Read Full Article
Best Restaurants in Florence – Eat, Pray, Love in Florence
Best Restaurants in Florence Disembarking the train at Florence’s Stazione di Santa Maria Novella, I resolve to make the most of my just three days in Florence to get my “Eat Pray Love” groove on—preferably without busting my budget. After a lovely week of hiking The Veneto, the Italian countryside north of Venice, reaching Florence feels like sweet relief. Sure, I can heft a backpack with the ... Read Full Article
Climbing the 463 Steps of Florence’s Duomo
Plan Your Visit To The Florence Duomo During my recent trip to Florence, Italy, my girlfriend Kristin and I decided to do something we’d never done before: visit the top of the Florence Duomo. Every Italian city has a duomo. Though there is no English equivalent, to define duomo is easy enough: it is the most important church in a city. The Italian duomo is usually located in the largest ... Read Full Article
Enjoying an Aperitivo in Florence, Italy
I’ve been walking and bicycling Florence’s busy and beautiful streets for five days now; it’s been hot and muggy, rainy and thundery, and absolutely breathing. Florence has many sides, but my favorites are its sights and its food. Since I’ve seen most of its sights before such as the Uffizi Gallery, and the Duomo, I’ve been focusing on Florence’s aperitivo culture and fine dining. Florence ... Read Full Article
Florence’s Mercato Centrale in the San Lorenzo Market
Florence is alive with markets, day in and day-out you will find several Florence markets ready for you to discover. The San Lorenzo market, in the heart of Florence, is a swarm of colors and scents. At the Mercato Centrale (the Food market in San Lorenzo) we’re talking artisan breads of all shapes and sizes; stands overflowing with in-season fruits and vegetables such as green beans, ... Read Full Article