Florence

Day 4 - Wonders of Renaissance Florence

The journey to Florence was a quick enjoyable walk from the hotel to the water taxi and a very comfortable coach bus. On the bus, Julian gave us his detailed and interesting history of Europe leading up to World War II. We loved how he was always telling us fun and interesting historical facts and stories. We had lunch at an Autogrill.

After settling to our hotel, Hotel Palazzo dal Borgo, we set off on an orientation walk of Florence, visiting many of the landmarks of the Florentine renaissance. We ended off the walking tour at the Great Museum of the Duomo where we had some time to explore the museum on our own.

Places we visited today:

Florence Orientation Walk - On the walk, we learned about Brunelleschi's magnificent cathedral dome and Ghiberti's Baptistery doors.
Great Museum of the Duomo – contains the original baptistery doors and many artworks including a Pietà by Michelangelo and Donatello’s Mary Magdalene, as well as the history of Brunelleschi’s dome. Entrance ticket also includes the duomo, Giotto's Bell Tower, Climb the Duomo Cupola, and Baptistery. Note: You need a timed ticket to climb the dome.

At night, we enjoyed a Tuscan Dinner feast! We were able to feast on three types of pastas, various meats and a whole cart of different desserts!

Day 5 - The Backstreets of Florence

As usual, we start our day on a walking tour with a local guide. We made our way through the streets of Florence, making several stops along the way before concluding the tour with a hands-on lesson on Italian cooking. We then had time to explore more of Florence for the rest of the day.

Places we visited today:

Palazzo Davanzati – One of the stops was the Palazzo Davanzati, a Florentine home dating from the medieval times.
The market – Legend has it that if you rub the snout of the boar in the market, you will have good luck
Santo Spirito Basilica – to see Michelangelo's first sculpture and learn that he used cadavers to help create his artwork.

In Tavola Cooking Academy – After a long morning, we arrived at the In Tavola Cooking Academy where we created a 4 course feast for lunch!
Pitti Palace & Gardens – In the afternoon, we chose to go to the Pitti Palace & Gardens.
Brunelleschi’s Dome - Climbing the 463 steps to the top of the dome of the Duomo for sunset was one of the most memorable views in Florence!

Day 6 - The Uffizi and David

Today was filled with museums, museums, and museums! We started our day with a guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery. We then explored the Galileo Museum on our own, which was right next to the Uffizi, before rejoining the group for a visit to the Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David.

Places we visited today:

Uffizi Gallery - Here we learned about and saw the works of Leonardo, Botticelli, and Michelangelo. At the conclusion of the tour, we followed Rick Steves' map to explore other parts of the Uffizi that were not part of the tour.
Galileo Museum – here we saw many of the instruments and devices that contributed to the scientific advances made during the renaissance, including many items made by Galileo himself. You can pre-download their museum app on your phone to listen about all the exhibits.
Accademia & David – houses Michelangelo’s David and The Prisoners, which are several of Michelangelo’s unfinished sculptures. Also contains some early musical instruments such as the piano, violin, harpsichord, and guitar. Since there is no guiding allowed in the Accademia, Julian gave us an overview of what we were about to see before heading inside. Rick Steves’ map and audio guide was handy to have while exploring the Accademia.
Piazzale Michelangelo - We were able to watch a stunning sunset at the Piazzale Michelangelo! We even saw someone propose here that night! How romantic!