That might sound like an exaggeration, but for us it is actually true. Considering that we would have been out of the country 3 to 4 times since the shutdown started in March, we find ourselves not just sad and frustrated, but truly depressed at times. We are making every effort to stay active and continue to provide information on a regular basis, but there are days when looking at photographs of previous trips is just too much to do. We had truly hoped that things would have improved by now, however it seems that things are once again getting worse and places are shutting down yet again.
Ponte Vecchio in FlorenceFlying Over Bolivia
We look forward to seeing new places and actually enjoy the entire travel experience. What is probably hardest is not meeting new people and hearing from them about their culture. We have teased several times that we’ll just have to travel twice as much next year, but clearly that isn’t reasonable and also assumes that somehow things will truly open back up again. We try not to get depressed when thinking about travel because, after all, we have our health and are together and most people consider travel a luxury. We think about all of our friends who rely on the travel industry for their livelihoods and feel for them knowing how difficult it must be on them. We apologize if the moods of our posts are not as upbeat as they usually would be, we will try to stay motivated in these trying times.
Two Reclining Buddhas in Laos (They are Farther Apart then It Looks)Royal Palace in Budapest from the Danube River Cruise
Florence is one of the most beautiful cities in the world with a rich history that includes architecture, art, and politics. There are so many wonderful sights to see when spending time in Florence, but if you have limited time in the city there are a few things that should certainly be on your itinerary. We would certainly recommend spending at least 3 days in Florence if at all possible as there so much to see and do. Depending on the time of year that you visit, you can expect plenty of crowds in Florence, so going during the off-season is advisable. Here are our top things to do in what we would consider to be the order of priority depending on the amount of time that you have to spend in Florence.
Looking Up at the Cathedral and Bell Tower
The Duomo – Officially the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Duomo dominates the city skyline. There is the cathedral itself, with the largest brick dome in the world as well as the bell tower and the baptistry. Although you could consider each of these as separate places to see, we have grouped them together as a single highlight when visiting Florence.
Replica of David in the Piazzale Michelangelo
Piazzale Michelangelo – There are many reasons to make the effort to visit the square with the bronze replica of the Statue of David, but the main reason is the incredible views of the city. You will find many vendors selling food and trinkets and it is a wonderful spot to just sit and enjoy the beauty of Florence. There is also a restaurant located near the square, which was a great place to enjoy a wonderful glass of wine after the somewhat strenuous walk up to the top of the mount.
Statue of David
Galleria dell’Accademia – The Accademia Gallery is best known for having the Statue of David on display, but obviously there is a lot of other famous artwork on display. With seven different halls to wander and enjoy the incredible artwork, you should give yourself at least four hours when visiting the museum.
Outdoor Statues in the Piazza
Piazza della Signoria – The plaza is an open-air museum that was built in the 1400’s and has a variety of statues on display. Two of the more famous statues are the Rape of the Sabines by Giambologna as well as Cellini’s Perseus. Considering it is free, it should definitely be one of the places that you make time to see.
Ponte Vecchio Up Close
Ponte Vecchio – This medieval bridge is certainly a highlight of any visit to Florence. Today it is filled with vendors selling a variety of local products, but it was originally the location of the butchers in the city. Like many other locations in Florence, expect plenty of crowds in the area and be careful of pickpockets taking advantage of tourists on the crowded streets.
The Birth of Venus
Uffizi Gallery – With many great works of art from artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Machiavelli, it is certainly one of the most famous museums in the world. After all of the members of the Medici family had died out, a deal was made to donate all of the artwork to Florence and it is now housed in the Uffizi Gallery. Just like the Gallery Accademia, be prepared to spend at least several hours seeing all of the amazing works of art.
View from a Restaurant at Night
Local Restaurants – Obviously you need to eat and there are so many wonderful restaurants to choose from. There are probably few locations in the world that bring to mind the food of the region as much as Tuscany where Florence is located. We would certainly recommend eating at one of the restaurants that can be found along the Arno River as the scenery is quite beautiful, especially at night.
View of the Duomo
Needless to say, there are more sights to see than these, but we would recommend that you put all of these locations on your itinerary when visiting Florence. With so many beautiful sights, seemingly around every corner, just walking the streets of Florence is a magical experience. If you have enough time, taking a day trip to Lucca and to the Leaning Tower of Pisa is definitely a worthwhile experience.
We have written several times over the past three to four years about how travel has impacted our lives. Looking back at the way we have viewed how travel influences our lives is as interesting in some ways as the actual travel has been. It is important to reflect upon the actual act of traveling as it is the experiences that come from travel. Here is a chronological look at the different articles we have written about travel in general.
Sitting at a Restaurant in the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain
January 2016 – Shared Travel Memories. One of our early posts where we discuss traveling as a couple.
Lighthouse on the Northern Coast of Africa in Morocco
July 2017 – Do You Have a Specific Travel Goal. We shared our thoughts on having very specific goals for our travels and what we would consider to be our ultimate travel goal.
View of the Prague Castle Complex
August 2017 – There is Always One More Place to See. No matter how many places you go, you can always find different countries, cities, regions, or specific sites that you would like to visit.
At the Louvre in Paris
November 2017 – Every Trip Makes You a Smarter Traveler. We looked back at our first out of country experience and how different we travel now than we did then.
February 2019 – What Do You Hope to Get From Traveling. Regardless of the reason for your travel, it has an impact on you, so we explore the benefits of various travel styles.
Paddling in a Small Canoe in the Amazon
March 2019 – Our Traveler Evolution. Exploring the various phases our travel style has gone through over the years.
Standing in Bran Castle (Dracula’s Castle) in Transylvania
February 2020 – What Was Your Wanderlust Moment? We looked back at the trip that influenced the way that we have traveled since that experience.
Halong Bay in Vietnam
March 2020 – Travel in an Uncertain World. In a world where things are continuously changing, travel is often impacted, but especially in today’s world.
