Getaway: Florence, Italy

By Paul

June 11, 2013 Cheap* Travel/Tours No comments

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Getaway: Florence, Italy

Florence, Italy – The home of the Renaissance and the gem of Tuscany, this ancient hub once served as the world’s business epicenter and cultural beehive as the best and brightest built up an iconic city, creating what is still today, one of the world’s great places to visit. Visiting Florence, you don’t have to look far for art and history – the streets are soaked with it and at every turn the indelible fingerprints of Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Da Vinci are clearly visible. So when you do set foot and walk amongst these hallowed piazzas it’s no wonder the list of musts is really really long. Of course, for art-admiration you’ll need to visit the Galleria dell’Accademia and Uffizi Gallery, to capture the cities aura you’ll have to stroll by the Amo river at dusk and cross the Ponte Vecchio bridge as the street lamps twinkle up to the sky and the midnight blue shades set in, and for a true taste of the city, you must sample the hearty and simply-seasoned steak: bistecca alla fiorentina, washed down with an unbeatable glass of chianti classico procured from the region’s rolling green hills.

Yes, to visit Florence is to soak in so many of the world’s finest things, all at once and all so fast, that one may experience extreme heart flutters, dizziness, and even fainting. (You can’t make this stuff up) and it’s hard to imagine until you’ve visited, but many visitors report varying degrees of Stendhal syndrome, where viewers fall under a spell upon viewing, “immense beauty in the natural world”. As a side note, a sublime remedy the Stendhal syndrome is a glass of the region’s famous wines.

Fully aware of the risks and ready to fight off this dreaded illness, I planned a 3 day jaunt to Florence during the “Semana Santa” or spring break this year, a time when students and teachers alike are provided the chance to truly escape. An italian friend had invited me to visit his small hometown near Perugia during the break but I was intent on cramming in as much wine and italian food as humanly possible and so the 3 day trip to Florence would be with me, myself, and a bottle of their finest red. Visiting my friend would come later. First, Florence.

Getaways in Europe Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore CheapInMadridBlog

Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore



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When you arrive in Florence, you’re not ready…you can’t be ready for what’s coming. Like a receiver left vulnerable and hung out to dry by a QB’s high pass, a visitor strides off the plane or bus with a bag in their hands, no idea what is coming, and then is immediately smacked dead-on and leveled to the ground. Crunch! Except in my case, in lieu of a brutish middle-linebacker, my leveling agent was the gargantuan il Duomo, translated bluntly in english to simply, THE DOME.

The ensuing awe that one feels as they stare up, dumbfounded at the presence of the Duomo and his partners-in-crime, the Baptistery and the Campanile, is far too difficult to capture. I can’t. You’ll have to see it for yourself. But suffice it to say, you’ll stop dead in your tracks, rub your eyes and check from all angles, sure that somehow this is all a fake…a big Hollywood set piece ready for the next James Cameron film. Only it isn’t. It’s all real and it took hundreds of years to complete, as construction began in 1296 and finished in 1436.

Still fighting off that Stendhal?

Florence keeps the punches coming with art gallery after art gallery. One of the world’s most famous pieces is yours to see and (snap a photo, as the angry italian security guard shouts and tries to block your photo). Yes, entering the cozy Galleria dell’Accademia you can see Michelangelo’s renowned “David” amongst a well preserved collection.

But world famous artwork is only the beginning here, as Florence will continue to surprise as you make the walk to the South and cross the Ponte Vecchio bridge to find the other half of the city – the local’s city, swarming with life – filled with movement, you’ll find the bustling piazza spirito santo, or town square, which is home to two of the best places to eat in the city: Gusta Pizza and Osteria Santo Spirito: serving rustic delicacies like gnocchi in truffle oil and the cities’ massive and namesake juicy-rare steak, all at very fair prices.

Gastronomy Florence CheapInMadridBlog

Gastronomy in Florence

The truth is, after eating so well and walking through this open-air-museum they call Florence, if you aren’t feeling a bit feverish or weak at the knees, then you’ve got real problems. Like check your pulse, problems.

I never fainted or fell down but that may only because I had made several friends at the hostel/bed and breakfast where I was staying, so if I teetered too far (wether Stendhal or wine induced) I had somebody to prop me right up. Picking a hostel is never a sure thing – you’re often left to pick between the most popular: what some call the “party hostel”, or roll the dice and pick a lesser known location with only a few reviews. Sometimes you get lucky and other times you’re stuck in a place that clearly is past its prime and now attracts high-school grads or worse, seedy 40-somethings who don’t seem to have a house. I took a chance on a lesser known hostel and oh man did I luck out. This cozy hostel is called “My Friends” and really could be considered a bed and breakfast at hostel prices because they give you free breakfast and the couple who owns it just might be the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Plus, they know Florence really well so listen up and take their advice.

Speaking of advice, here’s a final tip: if you’re planning a trip for a holiday or break, look hard at Florence. This city will surprise and sooth, it will shatter assumptions and reinforce what we’ve all heard time after time, “Italy is amazing!” While true, saying it is only worth so much as any recent visiter knows.

A wide-eyed traveller will return from Florence, panting and frantic with excitement, as they try to explain it all to friends and anyone who will listen, “The…the architecture and the streets, the David, the galleries, the fashion, the pizza! Oh the pizza is so good! And the wine! And the gelato! And…Oh my god you’ve got to go”.

And that’s probably the best advice anyone can give. You have got to go.

How to Get There: You can fly with Vueling.com or Iberia.com direct from Madrid to Florence or for cheaper fares, check flights with Ryanair.com or Easyjet.com and fly into Rome or Bologna, then take the train to Florence. Check train fares and schedules here.

Where to Stay: For all in their 20′s and 30′s looking for the best accommodation, Florence has plenty of options which offer a bed for 20€ but the best place to stay is My Friends Hostel. The owners treat you like family and it’s a safe, clean, little hideout that will only add to Florence’s charm. Oh and they’ve got maybe the highest Hostel Booker’s overall rating, ever.

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Nightlife: While the nightlife isn’t quite as rowdy as Spain’s, you won’t have any problems having a blast and finding great places to do so (and surely you may find English speaking pals as somewhere around 10,000+ study abroad students descend upon Florence each year). To join the fray head to Naima, the hip sports bar with a lounge-y feel, then pick a club. If you tire of the delicious wine you can head to Mostodolce for yummy artesian beers (try the  Volpo!). Remember eating and drinking hours vary slightly: Aperitivo is from 6-8pm, Dinner is at 8-9pm, and bars close around 2:30am.

If You Visit: 1) Walk along the Amo river 2) Stroll up to the Piazza Michelangelo for pictures 3) Escape to Grieve for a day trip with photos of the Tuscan hillside if time permits.

 

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