Next Up- Florence

Jon picked an amazing hotel right on the Arno River and next to the Ponte Vecchio. It also had a roof top garden next to a precious little church.

Our first night was chilly and the city was busy. The 26th is a holiday in Italy so everyone was out and about. We had fun exploring the site and relaxed at the Duomo for a bit while we planned our next day.
We enjoyed some delicious dinners... especially the one at Trattoria Anita... thanks A & J!

We had beautiful weather in Florence. Below, Jon is outside of the Church of San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapels. We loved walking around Florence. The art was beautiful and the history was interesting. While we were there I was reading a book titled "The Murder of a Medici Princess" which is all about the Medici's influence in Florence. It was fun to read about the places (mostly palaces) and then go see them!

We were so thankful to have an iPod touch with us. We downloaded some Rick Steves audio guides. We enjoyed his "Renaissance Walk". It brought us on a walk and pointed out/explained things we would have just walked past. I would highly recommend doing this if you are ever in Europe.

Above, Jon is enjoying our Rick Steves tour.

We decided to hike up the hill on the other side of the river. We were pretty warm after climbing all those stairs... so of course we indulged in some gelato as we enjoyed the view.
How beautiful is that city? It was so unique looking... different than anywhere else that I've been in Europe. It was really cool to have a view of the Italian Alps to the north of Florence, with views of Tuscany as well.The historical/touristy part of Florence is small. You can walk everywhere. The roads have restricted traffic rules which made it so easy to walk around. We walked and walked and walked!
Florence was decked out for the holidays. EVERY street had some type of unique Christmas decoration hanging. The lights/decor was more impressive than London or Paris.

More to come... how about a mini-road trip into the Tuscan countryside... hmm?