After our quiet, relaxing time in the Cinque Terre, our arrival in Florence was a bit shocking. Even though RS warned me, I was not prepared for how crowded and intense Florence was! There were hoards of tour groups, and the streets were packed with people. Europe’s high schools also seemed to be on Spring Break, because there were masses of teenagers in big groups as well. We were a little overwhelmed at first.

We checked into our hotel, grabbed some lunch and then headed to the Uffizzi gallery to learn about the progression from Medieval to Renaissance art. It was really cool and I was glad we had our RS audio guide to help us make sense of everything and actually get something out of the museum experience.

After a bit of wandering and a rest in the Uffizzi courtyard, we went to check out the Galileo Science museum. I thought Klane would love it, and I was right. :) We both thought it was fascinating. It’s shocking how many amazing minds came out of Florence during the renaissance. Learning about all the history was so interesting, and it came alive so much more for me than it ever did learning about it in school.

We really fell in love with Florence that evening after dinner when we went out to wander the streets and explore. The hoards of tour groups and teenagers were gone and we loved wandering the streets and appreciating the beauty of Florence. The city has a definite medieval style that makes you feel like you’ve gone back in time. I also love that Florence is much smaller and more walkable than Rome. There were great street musicians all over the place so almost everywhere we went there was great music which made for a romantic evening stroll. We walked across the Ponte Vecchio and along the river, and got some gelato and admired the statues along Piazza della Signora.

There was a great accordionist playing on the street right outside our window both nights we stayed in Florence, which was very romantic.