Nanda & Nathan The Travellers: Florence, Italy (Day 1)

March 14, 2015 --- Florence. I've heard lots of good things about this city. Nathan had been there before with his aunt and uncle after his graduation from college and totally loved it. Everyone who has been there told me that it is the most beautiful city in Italy. Were they right? Well, I personally think it's a very beautiful city, but I can't say that it's the most attractive city in Italy since I haven't seen all of Italy yet. Among Rome, Venice, Florence and Pisa, I like Rome best.

Nathan and I took an evening train from Venice to Firenze S. M. Novella. The ride was only 2 hours on a nice, modern Trenitalia train. We stayed at Hotel Mia Cara located just a few blocks from the train station. The room was very clean and the bed was comfortable. We got a split floor for our bed room on the top floor and the bath room downstairs. Breakfast was also plentiful and yummy.

After a full night's rest, we started our first full day in Florence with Rick Steves's free audio guide "Renaissance WalkTour." The tour began at the Florence Cathedral, or Duomo. This stunning Gothic-Renaissance style basilica was built in 1296 and completed in 1436. The exterior marble wall was in many shades of colors, and that made it distinguished from other cathedrals I have ever seen. Many tourists come to Florence and make an attempt to climb the Dome. The line can be very long and hundreds of spiral stair steps is very challenging, but it's well worth it. After getting a ticket, Nathan and I first climbed the Giotto's Bell Tower to the very top. The view from there was terrific because we not only saw the beautiful city of Florence, but also saw the Dome, the icon of the city, standing elegantly among other buildings. If you climb the Dome, you won't see the Dome. Get it?

After climbing down from the Bell Tower, we were exhausted and decided to hold off on climbing the Dome and went into the cathedral first. The interior of the Florence Cathedral is very plain compared to the elaborate exterior. Then we went underground to see the Crypt. It didn't take us long to finish the tour inside this huge cathedral because there isn't really much to see. Then we went to the Florence Baptistry located right across from the cathedral. This Baptistry is one of the oldest buildings in Florence. It was built between 1059 -1128 and was believed to be a Roman temple dedicated to Mars.

After a visit to the Baptistry, Nathan and I were ready to climb the Dome, but there was a long waiting line, so we decided to continue our audio walking tour with Rick Steves and proceed to the Church of Orsanmichele. First we circled around the church to see its 14 architecturally designed external niches and statues. Then we went inside to see the structure of the building. This church was originally built as a grain market and later was converted into a church.

Then the audio tour took us to Signoria Square. It's the most famous square in Florence, containing many interesting sights like Vecchio Palace and Uffizi Gallery. There is a replica statue of David and many other art pieces presented here. From the square we walked to Vecchio Bridge where the audio tour ended. The bridge is very unique with many jewelry shops and multiple-story buildings. As the tour ended around lunch time and our tickets to the Uffizi Gallery were in the evening, we just decided to walk back passing the Duomo and toward the Central Market. We had lunch at Trattoria Da Mario where offers many traditional Florence dishes. The waiting line was about 30 minutes, but the food was really worth the wait.

After lunch we were thinking about climbing the Dome, but the line got even longer than in the morning, so we gave up and walked to Michelangelo Square instead. There you get the best view of Florence and it's an absolutely must-visit site, especially on a sunny day. Not too far from Michelangelo Square there is a church called Basilica of San Miniato al Monte located on the top of the hill. It is a very beautiful Romanesque structure and gives a stunning view of Florence.

Around the time to visit the Uffizi Gallery, we went through the security check and collected our tickets. I don't think we needed to make an online appointment and pay extra for the tickets since it wasn't busy at the time we visited. Rick Steves has a free audio tour called "UffiziGallery Tour" for download online. However, I found it to be difficult to follow the tour since the gallery has moved their art works around a lot, so it was hard to find the right pieces that match the tour explanation. We spent about 2 hours in the Uffizi Gallery and I really think it's one of the must-sees of Florence.

At dinner we went back to Central Market hoping to eat at Nerbone. It turned out that the market had already closed for the day and only the 2nd floor eateries stayed open through the night. We got some pasta dishes and a glass of wine there. The pasta was very fresh but bland, and I was disappointed and regretted for not going somewhere else. It's hard to believe that this popular hipster place failed me.

Overall, the first day in Florence was very enjoyable and full of sightseeing. My favorite parts were the stunning views from the Bell Tower and at Michelangelo Square.