A Day In Florence

Florence is the capital city of the Tuscany Province of Italy. We were now onto the second half of our Tuscany trip. Based in Pisa, after a trip to Cinque Terre villages the previous day, we were now all set for some touristy action in the historic and arty city of Florence.

Another pleasant sunny day greeted us as I woke up in my hotel room at the Piazza De Miracoli, Pisa. We lazed around in the morning, walking around the leaning tower and having a quick coffee meal at one of the open cafes around it after which we boarded the train to Florence. In an hour and a half we were in Florence at around 2-30 PM.
I have always felt that the best way to experience a city (and not just see) is to walk through it without worrying about checklists and sightseeing targets. Florence is one such city. This is a luxury you will not get in a crazy place like Rome or Paris, where all the places of interest would be well spread out and the checklist on your hand will tire you completely at the end of the day as you run from one tube/bus station to another with your map. My sister-in-law said the same about Rome which she visited two days back.
Our task was simple. No worrying about buses, trains or taxis, we checked the map and started walking towards the main attraction – The Piazza Del Duomo or the Cathedral Square where the famous Florence Cathedral is located.

After a ten-minute walk through the buzzing city center, we were treated to the mesmerizing sight of the cathedral with a dome like structure. Italy is truly the land of art and sculpture and much like Rome, art is what Florence is famous for as well.  This was one such special piece of art for which even a non-arty person can travel miles to see. We were awestruck at the sheer size of the structure, the intricate carvings and the designs of the walls of the cathedral. We took our time to click enough photos and go around the cathedral twice. The place was buzzing with tourists just how it should be on a bright, sunny day and that is what it makes it an even better experience. By the time we have had enough of the cathedral, we were quite hungry so we hopped into one of the cafes for a light sphagetti meal.

The entire city center was such that you could walk there for ages. Every narrow lane seemed to beckon you to explore. Our next stop was the Piazza De Michelangelo which was across the River Arno which flows through Florence. It was going to be a twenty minute walk up the hill, from where you get a brilliant birds eye view of the city of Florence. We thought of taking a cab in order to save some time so that we could reach early while the sun was still strong but that was not to be. There was no cab available so we decided to listen to the call of the lanes and walk ahead towards the river. There was no dearth of gorgeous sights along the way, all a beautiful piece of art or sculpture. We reached another grand square which was the Piazza della Signoria. There were tourists, there were cafes, horse drawn carriages. It had the statue of David as well as a statue of a man on a horse aptly named Statua Equestre di Cosimo.

After multiple rounds of photography we now walked towards the river. It was a grand walk through some amazing architecture and sculpture. Right at the bank of the river was the Museo de Galilio. 

We were now at the banks of the River Arno and from a distance across the river and up the hill we could see hordes of people moving on the steps. This was the Piazza de Michelangelo, our destination. It is still winter so we were racing against the sun to get to the place and get a view of the city in daylight.  It was 5 PM which meant we still had an hour of dusk ahead of us. My sister in law and her husband decided to stay back and enjoy the vibrant city center so it was only the two of us who would go up the hill. We made the walk first across the river, then through the lanes and then up the steep steps. All the effort was worth it as we were treated to a breathtaking view of the city of Florence on the banks of the River Arno, with the cathedral dome standing tall as the most prominent landmark symbolizing the city. The square up the hill was a huge attraction and had hordes of people enjoying the view, adorned with souvenir shops and roadside eateries. We realized dusk was the perfect time to come here as the sun would be setting and the lights would be taking effect. The place also provides a great evening view. We thoroughly lived the place clicking umpteen pictures and enjoying the view of the whole city from all possible angles. It boosted our spirits so much that we toasted to a bottle of wine which we drank from modest plastic glasses.

The evening landscape looked gorgeous as well which our cameras somewhat captured quite decently. By this time it was getting cold which made us think that we need to head back to the city center. One way would be to walk it down the slope but we decided against it as we did not know the way and losing our way in the dark would end up in lost time . In addition we were somewhat tired after a typically busy day of a tourist. However buses were not to be seen. Luckily we spotted a cab and immediately jumped on it. Watching us another couple of tourists, waiting eternally for the bus requested us for a share of the ride which we duly accepted. They turned out to be mother and daughter coming from the US. Typically, we built up a conversation around India which made the daughter reveal about her love for the Himalayas and her planned to trek up to the Everest base camp the coming summer. A sure interesting topic for me though by the time she got to her plans we had already reached the Piazza Del Duomo.
Evening had set in by this time. All the lanes were lit up and as much as we wished we could walk through each one of them, we could not do so as we had one eye on the watch. Our plans were to have dinner and then take the train back to Pisa and 10 PM. We located my sister in law and her husband and then planned to meet up at the Piaza della Republica for dinner. So enamored were we walking through the lanes that we lost each other for a brief while and only met up at the Piaza della Republica. This was another square to be in and another place which made my love for Florence grow and regret that we will not be staying the night here for another day through those lanes in the city center. No sight-seeing, no ticket queues, no tour guides, just soak in the amazing atmosphere of the city. We had an amazing Italian dinner at one of the restaurants and after a seemingly longish walk, we were on the train to Pisa, tired but highly satisfied.