The train trip to Florence from Ljubljana included: a cancelled train leg, waiting on a cold platform until 2:00AM somewhere in Austria, and eventually an overnight ride that had me crawling over people asleep in the rail car who had decided to make a bed out of my seat. Weird and bizarre! Anyways, as with other travel woes we made it to Florence.
It was my second visit to Florence and again, I was not disappointed. It is touristy, yes, but the city has a great vibe and a ‘picture perfect’ photo op around every corner. The leather markets are plentiful, the bridges spanning the River Arno are spectacular and just look skyward and the huge dome of the Duomo will give you your bearings.
San Lorenzo leather stalls and the Market Hall was a necessary stop for some shopping and eats. Leather ‘anything’ is sold there and we found a cute, elderly couple serving homemade penne pasta with Chianti wine in the Hall for lunch.
One of the highlights of our stay in Florence was our accommodation in a monastery high in the hills just on the outskirts of the city. It was called Villa LaStella and we were fortunate to have a room with the ‘Firenze Vista’. The view was breath-taking, with the Duomo and entire city unfolding below us. The staff were amazing and you were tempted to not even take the bus into the city and just enjoy the grounds.
Whether you are enjoying the landscapes or the streetscapes or the people – Florence is a gem.
That concludes my 6-City (maybe it was 7) Europe fall tour blog. Back to Canada tomorrow! Feel free to leave a comment below. If you wish to contact me, my email is blaisemcneil@gmail.com. Thanks for visiting my site and I hope you’ll return soon for my next adventure…. Blaise