Day 5 - Firenze

We docked in Livorno, Italy at 7AM this morning. Livorno belongs to the region of Tuscany, which includes Pisa and Florence, two of the most beautiful places on earth! Located 45 minutes from Livorno is Sienna, which is also a beautiful city, housed within a walled fortress, which has only 3 entrances. We are fortunate and have had the pleasure of visiting this region before, with our most favorite places being Tuscany and Sienna. Since we did not have a lot of time in Florence on our previous trip, we decided to dedicate the entire day to exploring this city and really understanding why so many people love it so much.

This morning we took the Euro Star directly into Santa Maria Novella, which is the main train station in Florence. Livorno is approximately 62 miles from Florence. From the train station, we walked directly to the center of the city, which houses the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. This cathedral is the second largest cathedral in the world (second to St Peter’s Basilica in Rome) and can hold up to 3000 people. The Cathedral has a unique architecture, a mix of Gothic and Renaissance Style, which is notable on the façade of the church. The lines were extremely long to visit the inside of the Cathedral, so we decided to wait in the short line and visit the dome of the Cathedral. We climbed 463 steps to the “Cupola Gallery.” The dome of the Cathedral was magnificent, displaying beautiful painted murals and two large cracks that have been there for over a hundred years. We climbed the last 175 steps, which led to the top of the church and boasted incredible views of the city.

Once we left the dome, we decided to take it easy and enjoy the sights from afar. We took pictures of the famous Bell Tower, which stands adjacent to the Cathedaral and is decorated in colored marble from the 14th century, as well as the Baptistry, which was built in the Romanesque style in the 11th century. Most notable are the famous three bronze gates on the east side of the Baptistry. They were designed by Ghiberti and Michelangelo referred to them as the “Gates of Paradise.”
Since we had already visited the Accademia Gallery where Michelangelo’s ‘Statue of David’ is located, we decided to spend the rest of the day shopping and eating (our favorite pastime experience).

We visited the leather district, which has hundreds of street vendors and established stores selling beautiful Italian leather. Of course I took advantage of this and bought a new leather jacket! And how funny is it that the jacket was sold to me by a man from California….small world!

After a few purchases, we sat and had a bite to eat at Miti. The food was excellent! Jeff had one of the best calzones he’d ever gotten….and it may have been the largest he’d ever gotten too! We definitely recommend eeating at Miti.

Once we finished eating, we headed towards Ponte Vecchio, which is the oldest bridge remaining in Florence, lined with goldsmiths’ shops. This appears to be a normal street in the middle of the city until the River Arno suddenly appears to be flowing beneath. It is really a breathtaking part of Florence. This area used to be the fish market, but the local towns’ people didn’t like the smell, so they converted it into the jewelry district. I think this is so funny!

We needed to be back to the train station for a 3:27 departure, so we headed back to SMN around 2:45. It was an excellent day in Firenze and we cannot wait to come back. We definitely know why people love this city so much. It is full of beautiful architecture and quant café’s where you can just sit and watch the day go by. And what’s even better, you have Sienna, Pisa, and Tuscay just a stone’s throw away. This is a must do, check it off the bucket list now!

Last but not least...we went to the nightclub last night!  Check out the pics...LOL!!

We are so excited for tomorrow’s stop – The French Riviera. We have never been, so it will be our first time. As of now, we plan on visiting Nice, Eze, and Monte Carlo! Jeff and I will be playing a hand of blackjack at The Grand Casino in Monte Carlo, wish us luck….

Ciao.

XOXO

J&J