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Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Florence's Romance In The Air

Reading Time    |    8 min 52 sec




If you have read my journey in Venice here and here, this is the sequel for my summer trip stories.

Florence or Firenze (in Italian) is located in the centre of Italy and is a capital city of the Tuscany region. I don't remember exactly when I put Florence in my bucket list, but mainly because it was the birthplace of Rennaisance. I'm an art enthusiast, and Rennaisance is one of my favourite eras so I'd love to visit this city at least once in my life.





Besides that, Florence is recognized as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and approved by UNESCO in 1982. The city also contains numerous museums and art galleries. The architecture and heritage of Florence are acknowledged all around the world.



My husband kindly made my bucket list comes true one-by-one without my consent. I couldn't be happier! He has never thought that he would visit Florence. Still, my husband said he didn't regret it because it's beautiful and memorable for us.


After the mild assault by some locals in Venice, we became more careful about our journey. They might appear anywhere, and as far as I know, Italy is prone to pickpockets, so please be careful. We took the intercity train from Venice to Florence for around 2-3 hours; it was fast and smooth. We bought some pastries in the station and ate them on the train. It was lovely.






I still remember how packed it was that day. People were running here and there, catching the train, checking the platform and buying tickets on the machine.

We arrived at our Airbnb in the afternoon. We were looking forward to staying in here because our room is vintage and elegant, plus there are cats! Yes, two fat cats to accompany us. 😂





I love the bathroom so much and the host let us use this room by ourselves. The house is clean and quiet. The host is at home all the time, but we rarely saw her. We met her cats all the time tho! They are so friendly and love a belly rub, so cute and fluffy.




When we arrived, the cats greeted us, and they stayed in our room while we were there. They love staying near human and get petted, and my husband was entertained to see them around.




After the check-in was done, we were ready for our adventure. We took some pamphlets and city guides before going out, we felt so excited! My husband was quite impressed already. I had a feeling that it'd be a magical day.




It was summertime, so it was time to wear something cute. I didn't do any exercises, so my tummy wasn't in perfect shape, I've been so lazy to make any moves since I've moved to the UK. I prefer to maintain my food intake instead. 

After we took some rest in our room and played with the cats, we continued our journey in Florence. I was really excited, even though the weather was super hot. ♨️♨️ 




My husband bought these two pieces of top and skirt for me. The material wasn't that comfortable, but it looked so flattering on my body. Luckily, the size just fit me. If possible, I don't want to gain any weight on the next summer. 

After we took some rest in our room and played with the cats, we continued our journey in Florence. I was really excited, even though the weather was super hot. ♨️♨️ 







Our Airbnb is at the opposite point of interest. We just need some walk before we reached this place. The sky was bright and sunny that day, I adore it, but my sensitive skin felt so hurt of the sunlight. I have applied sunblock of course, but it still burnt. 


Florence is full of art and heritage, there're many artists, designers and famous figures from this little city. It is not surprising to find the number of artsy details along the road. You'll be amazed by the architecture of this Florence. 





We walked on foot to explore Florence. There were many fascinating museums to visit here, but we couldn't check them all. We only had one night here, so we prefer to see the fancy old town. 





The residential housing is typical Italian style building, it is dominated with earthy and warm colours. It looked so pretty under the clear sky and on the side of the river. I snapped this picture from the bridge. 

The temperature in the summer was too hot for me. I have been living in the UK for more than one year now, and I slowly get used to the weather. I can't imagine my holiday next month in my hometown. Well, it is the rainy season, so perhaps I'll be fine. 

We both were hungry at that time, and thirsty of course, so we decided to have lunch first at this casual restaurant near the river. We quickly dug in this yummy and refreshing ice cream. It was okay, but the price was quite pricey for the quality. 





We ordered one plate of pizza for sharing because it was too big for us alone. We sat there for a while and played with a little bird there. The little bird kept begging for pizza crumbs; it was so tiny and cute, I couldn't help to share. 

My husband was surprised that the bird was really friendly to us. It even stood beside us and took the crumbs from my palms. After it took the bits, it flew away and came back again to us to have more crumbs. How lovely! 😍

I've shared this moment on my IG story, perhaps you could find it on my Florence's highlight. 

After we finished and paid for our lunch, we immediately walked again to explore the beautiful road. There were many luxury brands on the streets. Many Chinese tourists were queuing to take a peek inside the stores because some of them were full. The roads in Florence is narrow but friendly to the pedestrian. 

I had a lovely time walking around the city with my husband. 







We arrived then at the Piazza del Duomo which was very marvellous. The crowd was crazy, it was full of people, but it didn't stop me from enjoying the time with my husband. 






The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore was magnificent. We were in awe when we looked up and observing the marble details. It is in UNESCO since 1982 and part of the historical centre in Florence. 






I think this cathedral is one of the prettiest churches I've ever seen in my life, and my husband confirmed that as well. He said this Basilica is genuinely magnificent. 








Many stores sell art and handmade stuff, and there are many historical buildings to remember. 









We took a rest for a while and munching our strawberries on the sidewalk. We drank some juice for refreshment and continued our walk. 



DO YOU NOTICE THE BEAUTIFUL CLOUDS?




On our way to Piazza Michangelo, we found this small Gelato cafe named Vivaldi and tried some Gelatos in nut flavour. It WAS DELICIOUS. There was no tourist on the spot, and many locals came to visit this store for a scoop of gelato. 






I got the Hazelnut and Pistachio; they were both lovely. My husband approved them as well and he said this is the best gelato we've ever tried so far.







We walked and climbed many steps to the top. There are many cute stores and cafes along the street, but we didn't stop by. Our priority was to reach the top first. We wished to see Florence town from above. Trust me, it was fantastic. 











The Piazza was full of people, and we waited for our turn to get close to the wall. We had to wait for a while until there was an available spot for us to take pictures because no one wanted to leave. We both too polite to snatched a space from others as we felt bad about it. We still had plenty of time, so we would like to enjoy the view without rushing. 






Do you see that Dome? It is the biggest dome in the world, and it is Santa Maria del Fiore. 

The view of Florence from Piazza Michelangelo is magnificent and romantic, especially if it reaches the sunset. 

My husband asked me whether I want to have dinner at this particular restaurant. I agreed because we wanted to wait for the sunset. Other than that, we were hungry. We got the best spot in this restaurant, weirdly, no one took this place even though this restaurant was crowded. Like it was meant and waiting for us to come. 







Our table had the best view at this restaurant, especially when the sun was going to set. Because we sat on the corner, no one could disturb us. My husband said the reason why no one wanted to take this spot was that the sunlight hit directly to our table. It was quite uncomfortable for some people I guess, especially women.

Nevertheless, I think that spot was really meant for us. 



husband and wife


We ordered a fettuccine, a lasagna, a wine, and a glass of champagne. The view was excellent, the music was romantic, and the food was delicious. I love the Champagne the most tho.







We chatted about the beauty of Florence while drinking the Champagne. My husband didn't expect that this city has a lot to offers. He never thought that he'd visit Florence.  When he found that Florence is in my bucket list, he silently put it into his as well. He said he didn't regret because Florence was one of the prettiest city he had ever seen. 


We talked about life as well and reviewed our day while we were waiting for the sunset. It was getting crowded there, but we were safe on that corner, and because we ordered extra food and champagne, the waiter didn't ask us to leave. 


My husband said that day was one of the most memorable moments in his life, and it was in mine as well.





What should I ask from God if He gave me so much to experience? It was truly magical and stunning. I was astonished by its beauty, the charm of God's creation. I couldn't move as I prefer to stay in my seat and enjoyed the very moment. The sunset was quite fast, so I had to be in those minutes to absorb everything. 


Later, my husband asked me to pose so he could preserve that moment for me. It was super crowded at the background, but we had our personal space and time there, so I've been very thankful to God for His timing.



Just a husband who loves his wife too much. 🤗 







Our camera and phone ran out of battery after the sunset because we didn't expect that we took so many pictures during the day. It didn't matter as we would like to enjoy the moment to the fullest, anything was recorded in the brain and my spiritual journal. Maybe someday when I get old, I'll forget everything, but my heart is content. 

I used some left energy in my phone for taking a few pictures when it got dark. The city looked like somewhere from the Alladin movie; the sky was dark blue, and the city lights were beaming all over the city, how beautiful? It was beyond words I wonder. 








While we were walking home, we passed the Duomo again. We heard something pleasing to the ears, and we tried to find the source of the melody. Then we were lured by the beautiful musical opera performance, and we stayed until the concert finished. It was indeed a fantastic performance, my husband was very impressed with the ambience and crowd. 


We were strolling over to find a way home without a map (our phone was dead), and we arrived in a spacious square with sparkling carousel. It looked so artsy and very festive, we were so immersed with the magic of Florence, and we didn't want to wake up. Sorry, there were no pictures at all.


Not very long after that, we heard something pleasing again to our ears. There was a performance by street musicians, they played some instruments. They presented a few pieces of beautiful classical music for us. We stopped for a while for listening to their performances. It was a lovely experience in Florence. 






After that, we walked home because it was near our stay. We had to cross the bridge first of course, but our Airbnb was located in a safe area where all the embassy's office present. There were many bodyguards, so we felt quite safe even though it was almost midnight. 


When we arrived, the cats were there to sleep with us. They looked very comfortable around us, and I didn't know why. 😂

I guess they like being petted and bound with humans. 





A pretty flat with a great location. If someday I have the chance to revisit Florence, I'd like to stay here again to meet with the cats. 


That morning, one of the cats slept next to me and seemed so peaceful. We both woke up late. My husband was already wake up and packed his luggage. He smiled when he observed us sleeping (the cat and me). 😂





Meow! See you on my next trip.


xx Comi



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