Within 2 hours of leaving Marthese’s parents in Verona (bye and thanks for everything!!), we arrived in Florence (Firenze). Early start, gloomy day. Great hotel location, right next door to the Medici Chapel.

So while waiting for our room to be ready, we took a little stroll and ended up at the Duomo (Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore)! Mighty fine building. We decided to join a random line (there were a few) and it ended up to be the one that let us climb the dome. 500 something steps, but well worth it.

So far Florence feels much more touristy than Verona and other places we’ve been (aside from Venice) but it also feels more “lived in”. We’re spending a week here and I can’t wait to immerse myself in it more!

Ciao.