“Proper gluttony takes considerable planning.” – Old Sean
Italian Joys
One of the countries which has remained at the top of my bucket-list for as long as I can remember is Italy. Between Roman histories, the Adriatic, grand ruins and so much food, it’s the one nation I wanted to spend an proper amount of life in.
After spending my waking hours in Milan, I made the trip to Florence, eager to spent a couple of days.
Visiting Florence is simply splendid. Despite being a bit of a tourist trap, the Arno River is without compare and hourly bells are beautiful (when not directly overhead), as they jangle and chime throughout the city.
A Pause for Thanks
Now, I must pause and send a thank you to a friend of mine named Kevin. Kevin and I were both students in Chicago a few years ago. After finishing our respective classes, we branched off into different parts of the world.
Kevin wandered to Rome and I left for China.
Thankfully, Kevin kept a large list of activities for Italy. He made frequent trips to Florence and Naples, so he had quite a few recommendations for those locations.
Primarily, Kevin provided me with advice for food. During my first evening, I stopped at Salumeria Verdi’s to enjoy a fantastic panini. For breakfast the following day, I got to sample Gusta Pizza. Afterwards, for second breakfast, I stopped at GROM Gelato, which was excellent to the point of tears.
It was at this point, my reality revealed itself to me: At some point during this trip, I’m likely to pass out from an excess of joy and overeating. Most likely a combination of the two.
Over the course of my stay, I continued to sample local fantastic restaurants. I wandered from Antico Noe Panini’s to the sandwich restaurant Oil Shoppe. Later, I attended a formal three course feast at II Latini which serves heaven and pasta on a plate. I also attended Osteria delle Tre Panche with a reservation, weeping with glee into their half-baked cheesecake specialty. At Acqua Al 2, I sampled the highly recommended blueberry stake and finished an evening at the Open Bar Golden View.
Needless to say, I was only visiting Florence for a couple of days. There wasn’t technically enough time for this many meals. So my day went as such:
Breakfast, morning snack, second breakfast, brunch, lunch, linner, afternoon tea, dinner, supper and finally, dessert.
I can promise that dessert, while beloved, was a bit of a struggle.
The Non-Food Florence
Aside from food, I did portion some of my time for actual tourism of the city. Since I conducted most of my work-interviews over meals, I had some extra time squirreled away for normal wanderings.
On my first evening, I joined a couple of girls from Holland on a little tour of the city accompanied by some free wine.
The following morning, I woke up early for breakfast. This is largely due to me being at a stage in my life where it’s hard to justify sleeping when I could be eating.
After breakfast but still during the dawn hours, I browsed the Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy, which is among the oldest operating pharmacies earthside.
Later, I walked by the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, an impossibly spectacular Italian Renaissance structure which serves as the artistic beating heart of the city. Located near other majestic monuments, the Cathedral is nigh unmissable. I let my mouth hang open a little bit while viewing The Baptistery of St. John, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Opera del Duomo Museum and Piazza di San Giovanni.
Somehow, some gelato snuck into my mouth while it was hanging open. Astonishing phenomena.
Afterwards, I spent some time in Museo Galileo, which was quite interesting. Back during University, I accidently took a class on Galileo, his methodologies and the concepts behind his famed thought-experiments. The class had been taught by an abrasive professor doing his best to teach us student-nuggets that the world is full of sharp edges. I don’t think he succeeded, but I enjoyed reviewing my knowledge regarding Galileo Galilei.
Finally, I stopped to view Ponte Vecchio, which is the best place to enjoy y a few of the smaller shops and views of the Arno.
Visiting Florence Heights
While the center of Florence is incredible and filled with endless artworks, there are also impressive overlooks of the city tucked into corners and perched atop hills.
I spent a long time wandering around the beautiful Boboli Gardens, which are a surprisingly steep ten euros to enter.
Later, I elected to climb the Steps of Michelangelo for breathtaking views of the city below. The steps are a bit of a hike, but they lead to Piazzale Michelangelo and the Giardino dell’Iris.
When I returned back to the lower city, I was pig-hunting. Specifically, I wanted to find the Porcellino Golden Boar (Il Porcellino). The boar itself isn’t golden, but it’s snout is. Visitors often place coins in the boar’s jaws, letting it fall into the grate below for good luck. This results in most of the boar’s body being a dull brown with its nose a sparking gold.
Departing Florence
Sadly, that was all my remaining time for visiting Florence. I spent long chunks of my stay interviewing people and eating an sinful amount of food.
Currently, I’ve hopped aboard a tram, which has taken me on a bus to the eternal city. During my ride so far, I’ve provided a young high-school graduate from Wales with unrequested life-advice pertaining towards his university field. When he wisely disengaged, I found an electrical outlet and typed this post.
There’s a steady mist and drizzle outside. I’m filled with unrelenting excitements. In a moment, my hundreds of roads around the world will align with old proverbs.
Tonight, I’ll be where all roads lead.
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean
Written August 15 2018
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Ten years ago, I abandoned my military surplus store backpack for a Farpoint 40 Osprey Travel Pack. I’ve never replaced my bag since. Two years ago, I bought two more Osprey Backpacks for my younger siblings on their first tour outside the country. I have nothing but praise for Osprey Products.
