21 gennaio 2018
We spent the late morning making pasta for breakfast (yup) and packing up our things. Unfortunately we had to check out of our airbnb several hours before our bus to Florence, so we went to the train station to rent a locker. It took us a while to locate the actual spot for luggage holding because the check-in was translated to “left luggage” so we thought it meant lost luggage. After a bit I realized it was just a bad translation and I excitedly pointed out to Giuseppe why. Is it just me or is it such a treat to spot bad translations?
We wanted to go to the pantheon, so we got on the metro. However, on the way there we walked past the Spanish steps and I just fell in love with the vibe! The sun was shining, it was warm, there street performers playing live music, and the buildings around us were so colorful and charming.
To be honest, I can't really tell you what the Spanish steps even are or why they're so famous. I just felt so happy there, singing the Greatest Showman soundtrack in my head and being surrounded by a beautiful part of Europe. It was so clean and manicured, unlike most of Rome. And while I love being surrounded by crumbling ruins and the busy metropolis that is Rome, it was nice to be in an area of the city that was really clean and elegant. There was a beautiful basilica at the top of the steps that we walked through. Giuseppe wasn't as into the Spanish steps vibe as I was, so we walked further along through the city. It really is such a pretty part of the city, with its colorful buildings and narrow cobblestone streets.
Giuseppe by some fancy car and a Melania Trump lookalike doing that classic "where have I seen you before?" face
We ended up spending all of our afternoon wandering around, and then it was time to catch our bus to Florence. So, next time, Pantheon.
We arrived in Florence around 7. We really got lucky with our airbnb! It's only a short walk from the bus station, and it's located on a narrow, cobblestone street on the top floor of an old building. Our host is named Guido and he and Giuseppe really hit it off. They were speaking in Italian for the longest time, but it was fun to listen to them! Guido's apartment is perfect, it has a small but newly renovated and modern-looking kitchen, a washing machine WITH A DRYER (a rare find in Europe!), and we even have our own bathroom in our room. Everything is clean and tasteful as well :)
I've always wanted to stay in a place with clown art. One more item off the bucket list checked off!
For dinner we went to a huge indoor market and walked around before finally deciding on soup for me and some kind of sandwich for Giuseppe. It's such a fun market, everything is modern and artsy, and extremely lively. We got a cannoli for dessert and I think this was called a Sicilian cake? That is a green maraschino cherry on top. We are really into desserts later, we finished watching Zumbo's Just Desserts (highly recommend it on Netflix!) awhile ago and are dead set on traveling to Australia to go to Zumbo's store.
After dinner we walked around the city. I suppose why I so deeply appreciated the Spanish steps this morning is because THIS is what Europe is like 70% of the time...
graffiti. everywhere.
But I won't dwell on that because seriously Florence is BEAUTIFUL and soon we came across the most magnificent piece of architecture I've ever seen... the DUOMO. There's a "duomo" in almost every Italian city, it's just a name for a cathedral or basilica. Like in France there's a "Notre Dame" in almost every city. Anyway, the Florence Duomo about killed me. Giuseppe didn't tell me we were about there (he lived in Florence for a bit on his mission), so when I rounded the corner I did not expect to see it. I literally staggered backwards because I couldn't believe it. It's nestled in between the regular city buildings, casually placed on the cobblestone. These pictures are just horrible, because seriously this thing is massive and more intricate than I could ever describe. It was built in the TWELVE HUNDREDS and I've never seen a style like this. There was hardly anyone walking around because it was so late. We walked around the whole thing to take it all in. It was silent, and the only light was coming from the surrounding buildings. It was probably the most mesmerizing experience of my life. I don't know how anything can top the Florence duomo.
The Duomo is designed in the shape of a cross, though of course it's hard to tell when you're just walking around it. It's so BIG. There's also a separate baptistry and tower, designed with the same stipes and patterns in white, gold, pink, and green. I LOVE it.
This is the highlight of the trip. The highlight of all travels. Maybe even the highlight of my life?
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