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Five Days in Firenze

We said goodbye to Firenze today as we boarded our train. Getting your bearings in a new place often takes a few days, but we immediately felt at home in Florence.

While great cities are known for their museums and galleries, churches, and historically significant sites, the joy of travel for me is often the unexpected.

One example: I spotted what’s known as a wine window a short walk from our hotel. I snapped a photo, then looked it up and learned that: “They were created as far back as 1559, when Cosimo de’ Medici, the ruler of Florence, allowed wealthy, noble families to sell wine they produced out of their homes.” (via Atlas Obscura).

The Buchette del vino, or little wine doors, proved helpful for a different reason during the plague and adapted again during COVID. Pictured below: Designated wine door, probable wine door, wind door converted into resident names/buzzers, and an artistic rendering of one.

Another delight was an immersive art experience off of the main hall of the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. A friend recommended this perfumery, which is extraordinary in its own right, but the Blooming in Paradise experience was unexpected. As you enter the room, the rich scent of one of their florals draws you in as slowly changing projections of flowers surround you. Soft music and dim lights enhance the experience and fill your senses. It certainly appealed to my gardening soul.

We loved the profuma-farmaceutica’s rich history and gorgeous buildings. Like many things in Florence, it’s been there for hundreds of years.

One more fun surprise was our bed and breakfast. The building was recently remodeled and decorated in Art Deco themes and prints. Illustrations from Vogue magazine lined the walls, and replicas from the period greeted us when we returned each night.

Art Deco happens to be my favorite style of visual arts and architecture. Mike worried beforehand that he had booked a room too far out of the city. Imagine my delight when we checked in to this charmer for five days instead.

On our way home one evening, we heard a young opera singer in one of the piazzas. A sizable crowd had grown around him. We were fortunate to catch a glimpse and listen to the night’s last two songs.

We had more delicious meals than I can count and many tastes of regional gelato. Mike, a self-proclaimed coffee snob, enjoyed espressos and cafe lattes daily. The service has been spectacular throughout, and most days, we’ve enjoyed our meals outdoors. People-watching never gets old.

Of the “must see in Firenze” list, we toured the Uffizi, which “houses the Italian Renaissance art, featuring works by such masters as Botticelli, Titian, Michelangelo, and da Vinci.”

We spent an evening at the Galleria dell’Accademia: “Europe’s first school of drawing, this museum of art is chiefly famous for its several sculptures by Michelangelo, notably his David, in addition to an extensive collection of 15th- and 16th-century paintings.”

Seeing Michelangelo’s statue of David, a 17-foot masterpiece, has been a lifelong dream since taking art history in university over forty years ago. It’s humbling being in its presence.

We enjoyed a meal in front of the Palazzo Vecchio and again across from Piazza del Duomo.

Sharing narrow streets with intrepid taxi drivers and enthusiastic motorbikes kept us on our toes as we walked between five and seven miles daily.

I will remember the sound of crickets, the hum of humanity, flower boxes, and postcard stands. I haven’t taken one moment of this fantastic trip for granted. I’m so lucky to be here.

Parting shots:

fabric shop in Florence
The Tower of Arnolfo

36 thoughts on “Five Days in Firenze”

  4. Alsy,

    So glad you’re having such a wonderful time. After my semester in Bath, Buddy and I visited a friend who lived in Florence. Your post has brought back all the sights, sounds and smells. It’s been 25 years but I still think about it all of the time. I will never get over standing near David and realizing that Michelangelo was somehow able to see and then create that beauty out of a huge piece of stone. Still boggles my mind. Enjoy your next stop

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    • Betsy, I’m happy to hear that you’ve spent time here, and how special to have a friend living in Florence. Michelangelo had a gift, and here we are enjoying it all these years later. It’s breathtaking in scope, detail, emotionality, and beauty. Thanks for stopping by.

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  5. Such a fabulous description of it all Alys. What a memorable trip for you. I am so happy you fulfilled that dream of yours to see the statue of David. The perfumerie looks amazing, and the materials in that shop really caught my eye too. Safe journeys!

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  8. What a fabulous journey you’re making! Thanks for sharing all these pretty things. I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying your time – well deserved :)

    After Venice and Florence, I wonder if you’re heading to Rome, or perhaps Naples.
    On the way between Florence and Rome, lays my little hometown (the city of Arezzo).

    Have a safe and exciting rest of the journey ahead!

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    • Thank you for sharing the name and place of your home town, Judith. Lucky, lucky you! We are indeed in Rome, so our train would have passed through Arezzo. I love this small world.

      We return to California starting Thursday. Thank you for your good wishes.

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  10. I loved every second of your visit. You know I have a soft spot for fabric shops and laundromats. :) Thanks. Trying every flavor of gelato would be on my list as well. I’m not a strong coffee drinker so couldn’t even do coffee in Germany.. Mike would hate having coffee around me. My sister made fun of me filling a cup with hot water and splashing coffee in it. But I can drink all the beer they will bring. Having wine passed through one of those little windows has to add to the flavor of it. You are 100% correct. Blogging and adding the photos does solidify the experience of travel. Perfect way to express that. I’m in awe. Enjoy your birthday. Thinking of you.

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  12. 5 days in Florence/Firenze? Wow I only had 2 days there and it was not enough. I did see some of the sights you mention and it was crazy to see the David in person!
    Wonderful photos and all I kept joking while I was in Italy – “Gelato amore mi” – I was so in love with it, my first time tasting the heaven that is gelato. Loved the food photos you shared too.

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  13. I’m with Tierney, one of my most abiding memories of Firenze is compulsive gelato-eating, because it was just.so.delicious! I loved an early morning wander around the streets before they filled up with tourists, an early macchiato, a few minutes sitting in Santa Maria del Fiore, breathing the peace and the faint traces of old stone and incense. Can you tell I miss it..?

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  15. Truly amazing days enjoying Florence, Alys and Mike! I’m so happy for you both!💕You are making a lifetime of happy memories during autumn in Italy. Heartfelt thanks for taking us along on such a wonderful adventure!
    🩷Dawn

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  16. How special! I remember seeing those wine windows when I watched episodes of Stanley Tucci’s “Searching for Italy.” I found them fascinating. How incredible to have this opportunity, Alys! 😉

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    • Debra, we need to go back and rewatch the early episodes and catch up on the newer ones. It’s a wonderful series. I warn everyone to watch with a full stomach. ;-) The wine windows didn’t register before so I must have missed them. I’m glad you told me.

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