Florence, Italy in Spring

Travel Day One - 19 April 2023 - Nashville to Newark to Vienna 🛬

A Lyft to Nashville Airport about an hour and a half before the flight. At the airport, printed boarding passes at the United self-check-in area. The Nashville airport lobby had changed noticeably since the last time through, a big improvement. Twenty-four security lanes now, which makes the process much faster. I used the TSA Pre-Check lane and avoided the long wait, though there was still a good walk to the gate.

Travel Day Two - 20 April - Vienna to Florence

At Newark, a long walk to catch the connecting flight shuttle, operated by United and Star Alliance. After the shuttle ride to Terminal B, the plane was delayed about thirty minutes taking off, which caused a late landing in Vienna. Sleeping on the flight from Newark to Vienna was nearly impossible due to about fifty babies and small toddlers crying and crawling the entire way. That meant minimal time to catch the connection to Florence after landing in Vienna. I barely made it with fifteen minutes to spare. After landing, about eight minutes to deplane, then Schengen Passport control, then another security check, then a sprint to the boarding gate. A stressful experience.

Day One - 20 April - Arriving at the Hotel

After clearing customs at Florence airport, I hopped on the tram to Unità tram station next to the Santa Maria Novella Church, then went straight to the hotel to check in. My room wasn't ready yet, but the front desk said it would only be a short wait. I took a seat and relaxed. Before long, the hotel staff walked me down to the room. It was cozy and standard-sized, which is fine for solo travel in Europe. I don't usually spend much time in hotel rooms anyway.

For lunch, I ate at Osteria dell’Oca: a delicious spinach ravioli in cheese sauce with vegetables, followed by a slice of chocolate cake. The waiter also brought a limoncello at the end. Later that afternoon, I started my gelato tour of Florence with a visit to La Strega Nocciolo Gelateria Artigianale.

Day Two - 21 April - Day of the Walking Tour

Breakfast, then back to the room to get ready for the day's walking tour of Florence. Our guide took us first to the Gallery of the Academy, where the original David and other Michelangelo sculptures are displayed. Then the walking tour through Florence, hitting many points of interest, and ending at the Ponte Vecchio. The guide recommended some restaurants in the area afterward, and I tried Trattoria Roberto. Bruschetta with tomatoes to start, then Tortelli with a truffle and cheese sauce, then beans with sausage. The food was amazing.

After lunch, I went to the Museo Galileo and spent time with the collection. Back at the hotel, I sorted through the souvenirs I'd bought. Then a gelato at Don Nino Gelateria & Pasticceria Artigianale. Later, I walked to the Piazza della Santissima Annunziata, realized it was the wrong piazza, stopped to get my bearings, and then headed toward Piazza della Signoria instead. At the statue of Neptune, I took some photos of the fountain and the surrounding statues, then walked back to the hotel.

Day Three - 22 April - Visiting the Duomo and the Uffizi Galleries

I started at the Baptistry of St. John. Being among the first visitors of the day, it felt like having the place to myself. The interior was stunning. From there, I went to the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo di Firenze to see its exhibits about the construction of the Duomo.

Afterward, back to the hotel to wait for the cathedral to open. When I arrived, the line had already wrapped around the building, but I still got in without too long a wait. The simplicity of the interior was something I hadn't expected. I walked up toward the front to see Brunelleschi’s famous dome.

Then on to The Uffizi Galleries. I was initially confused about where to pick up my pre-booked tickets, but a kind stranger pointed me in the right direction. Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, Caravaggio’s Medusa, Filippo Lippi’s Madonna and Child. The quality of the work in there is something else.

A lunch break at Mister Pizza, where I had the Tipica 4x4 with Tuscany Tomatoes, fresh bocconcini mozzarella, fontina cheese, creamy DOP Gorgonzola, 16-month-aged Grana flakes, and fresh basil. It was so good I may have slightly overdone it.

In the evening, back to La Strega Nocciolo Gelateria Artigianale for more gelato, then a walk along the Arno river, across the Ponte alle Grazie bridge and around the Oltraarno, then back over the Ponte Vecchio to the hotel.

Day Four - 23 April - The Bargello Museum and Pitti Palace

I visited the Bargello museum in the morning, working through the exhibits and taking photos. The museum is remarkable: sculptures by Donatello and Michelangelo under one roof. I picked up a bookmark at the gift shop on the way out. Then back to the hotel to drop off purchases, and on to the Pitti Palace via the Ponte Vecchio. At the palace, I stood in line for a bit before remembering I had a pre-purchased ticket and could skip the queue entirely.

The art galleries were impressive. I made a deliberate effort to actually look at the paintings rather than photograph everything like I had at the Uffizi. After the Palatine Gallery, the gift shop for some souvenirs, then the Rudolf Levy (1875-1944) Work and exile exhibition, which was fantastic. Afterward, the café for some water and a panino.

Later, I went to the Boboli Gardens and strolled through them. The viewpoints were excellent, and I got some good photos. The Fountain of Neptune had a heron standing on it while ducks swam around the pond below. I walked beyond it to the Statue of Abundance, then wandered back to the hotel through some of the quieter streets to avoid the tourist crowds.

Day Five - 24 April - Santa Maria Novella and Panino at All’Antico Vinaio

In the morning, I went to the Museum of the Novocentro. Honestly, many of the pieces looked like they could have been done by a three-year-old, which was a bit of a letdown.

Next, the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, where after some initial confusion I figured out how to enter with my pre-booked tickets. Once inside, the beauty of the architecture and paintings was genuinely moving. The courtyards and convent built by the Dominican order were a definite highlight.

After leaving the church, I headed to Piazza San Marco and All’Antico Vinaio. I ordered the Tartufo 2: prosciutto with truffle, pecorino cream, and spicy aubergines. It was amazing.

After lunch, back to the hotel for a nap, then to Don Nino for gelato: a large cone with nocciola, caramel, chocolate, and a macaron on top. Extra good. Then back to the hotel for the evening.

Day Six - 25 April - The morning of the Bronze Boar, an empty Ponte Vecchio and more

I started early and walked along Via del Roma toward the Ponte Vecchio. A stop at Piazza della Republica for a photo, then on to the bridge. Surprisingly, it was empty and I got some beautiful shots. On the way back to the hotel, I stopped at the Fontana del Porcellino, rubbed the bronze boar’s nose and threw a coin onto its tongue. It dropped into the grate on the first attempt.

Back at the hotel, I sorted through photos, then went out to Piazza San Lorenzo to find Trattoria Sergio Gozzi. I located the restaurant, then went to Palazzo Medici Ricardi to explore the exhibits before stopping at the gift shop.

Later, I returned to Piazza San Lorenzo and waited for Trattoria Sergio Gozzi to open at noon. Tortelli with truffle sauce. Delicious. After lunch, the church of San Lorenzo, then Palazzo Strozzi for the Going to the Stars exhibit, which was incredible. The best part was the big fluffy spinning things you could actually touch. I love interactive exhibits. After the exhibit, a goodbye visit to La Strega Nocciolo Gelateria Artigianale for a large cup of strawberry, nocciolo, and dark chocolate ice cream. Then the Lindt chocolate store, where buying too many chocolates when your hotel is next door is completely unavoidable. Back to the hotel to start eating them.

Travel Day Three - 26 April - Florence to Zurich to O’Hare to Nashville 🛫

Up and ready, bags packed, then breakfast and the tram to the airport, through security, and to the gate. Flew to Zurich.

After a nine-hour flight, we landed at O’Hare in Chicago and worked through passport control and customs.

Pre-check lines at Terminal 2 were closed, so I went through the regular line and received a Pre-check card. No shoes off, but the jacket still had to come off. I forgot the metal pen in my wallet and had to go through the detector twice. The woman running the lane was kind about it.

Then a long walk to the gate, onto the plane, and home. Good to be back.

Using points from my Capital One Venture X card managed to offset some travel-related expenses, which brought the overall cost down considerably.