Florence, Italy in Spring

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

I took a Lyft ride to Nashville Airport at 9:44 a.m. and arrived at 10:13 a.m. After that, I went to the United self-check-in area to get my boarding passes printed. What surprised me was how much the Nashville airport lobby had changed - it is a major improvement over the old one. They have 24 security lanes now, which makes the security check much faster and efficient. I used the TSA Pre-Check line to avoid the long wait time. Once done with security, I had to walk a long way to the gate. On the flight to Newark, I almost lost my Apple AirPods when they fell down beneath the seat, but thankfully, they did not fall into a crack. I was able to find them and keep them safe.

Travel Day Two - 20 April - Vienna to Florence

Upon arrival at Newark, I had to walk a long way to catch the connecting flight shuttle, which was operated by United and Star Alliance. Then, after the shuttle ride to terminal B where my boarding gate was, the plane was delayed taking off for about thirty minutes, which, in turn, caused a delayed landing in Vienna. However, sleeping on the plane from Newark to Vienna was almost impossible due to about fifty babies and small toddlers crying and crawling. Consequently, there was minimal time to catch my flight to Florence upon landing in Vienna, which I barely made with fifteen minutes to spare. After the flight landed at 8:33 a.m., it took about eight more minutes to deplane. Then, I had to go through Schengen Passport control in Vienna, followed by another security check. After the security check, I had to hurry to the plane's boarding gate, which was 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. I then proceeded straight to the hotel, where I checked in. Although my room wasn't ready yet, the check-in person mentioned it would only be a short wait. So, I took a seat and relaxed for a bit. It wasn't long before the nice hotel staff informed me that my room was prepared and walked me down. The room was cozy and standard-sized, perfect for a single traveler in Europe. I don't usually spend much time in hotel rooms as I prefer spending most of my days exploring.

For lunch on my first day, I ate at Osteria dell’Oca. I had a delicious spinach ravioli in cheese sauce with vegetables, followed by a slice of chocolate cake. To top it all off, the waiter brought me a limoncello. Later that afternoon, I started off on my great gelato tour and visited La Strega Nocciolo Gelateria Artigianale.

Day Two - 21 April - Day of the Walking Tour

I woke up and had breakfast at 7:30 am. After that, I went back to my room to get ready for the day’s walking tour of Florence. Our tour guide took us first to the Gallery of the Academy where the original David Statue and other Michelangelo sculptures are displayed. Then, we went on the walking tour around Florence and visited many points of interest. Eventually, we ended up at the Ponte Vecchio where the tour ended. The guide recommended some restaurants in the area, and I tried Trattoria Roberto. The food there was amazing! I had bruschetta with tomatoes for starters, followed by Tortelli with a truffle and cheese sauce for the first course, and finally beans with sausage for the main course.

After lunch, I went to the Meuseo Galileo and saw some amazing items in the collection. Once I returned to my hotel room, I sorted through the souvenirs I had bought and put them away. After that, I had a gelato at Don Nino Gelateria & Pasticceria Artigianale. Later, I walked back to the Piazza della Santissima Annunziata but realized that it was not the piazza I was thinking of. I stopped and sat for a bit, got my bearings reset and headed in the direction of Piazza della Signoria. Back at the statue of Neptune, I took some pictures of the fountain and other statues in the piazza and then walked back to my hotel. All-in-all, it was an amazing day.

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

I started my day at the Baptistry of St. John, and being among the first visitors for the day, it felt like we had the place to ourselves. The interior of the building was stunning! From there, I headed to the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo di Firenze to see some amazing exhibits.

Afterwards, I went back to my hotel which was conveniently located, to wait for the opening of the cathedral. On arrival, the line had already wrapped around the cathedral, but I was still able to get in at 11 am. The simplicity and beauty inside the church left me in awe. I then strolled up to the front of the church to see Brunelleschi's famous dome.

After the cathedral visit, I made my way to The Uffizi Galleries. At first, I was confused about where to pick up my pre-booked tickets, but a kind-hearted stranger pointed me in the right direction. The sheer quality of artwork, including Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, Caravaggio’s Medusa, and Filippo Lippi’s Madonna and Child painting left me inspired.

I took a lunch break at Mister Pizza where I tried the Tipica 4x4 with Tuscany Tomatoes, fresh bocconcini mozzarella cheese, fontina cheese, creamy DOP Gorgonzola, flakes of 16-month-aged Grana cheese, and fresh basil. It was too good that I might have almost overeaten.

In the evening, I headed to La Strega Nocciolo Gelateria Artigianale for more gelato. Later, I walked along the Arno river, across the Ponte alle Grazie bridge and around the Oltraarno and then back again, over the Ponte Vecchio bridge to my hotel.

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

I visited the Bargello museum in the morning, where I walked around the exhibits and took photos. The museum was amazing, featuring sculptures by Donatello and Michelangelo. On my way out, I stopped at the gift shop and got a bookmark. After that, I returned to the hotel to drop off my purchases and then made my way to the Pitti Palace, crossing over the Ponte Vecchio again. At the palace, I stood in line for a bit until I realized that I had pre-purchased a ticket and could skip the line waiting to buy tickets.

The galleries of art were impressive, and I took in all the beauty with my own eyes instead of taking too many photos like I did in the Uffizi. After I finished with the Palentine Gallery, I stopped at the gift shop and bought some souveniers. Next, I went to the Rudolf Levy (1875 -1944) Work and exile which was fantastic. After the exhibition, I went to the cafe and bought some water and a panino.

Later, I went to the Boboli gardens and strolled though them. The gardens had awe-inspiring viewpoints, and I took some fantastic pictures. The Fountain of Neptune was remarkable, and there was a heron standing on the fountain while ducks swam around the pond. I strolled beyond the fountain and came to the Statue of Abundance, another amazing sculpture. After wandering around the gardens, I left and strolled back to my hotel through some of the quieter, less busy streets, as there were many tourists in Florence that day.

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

In the morning, I made my way to the Museum of the Novocentro. While the museum was okay, many of the art pieces looked like they could have been done by a three-year-old child, which was a bit of a letdown.

Next, I went to the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella where, after some initial confusion, I figured out how to enter with my pre-booked tickets. Once inside, I was left in awe at the beauty of the sacred architecture and paintings. The courtyards and convent built by the Dominican order were amazing and a definite must-see.

After leaving the church, I traveled to Piazza San Marco and went to All’Antico Vinaio. I ordered the Tartufo 2 - a sandwich consisting of prosciutto with truffle, pecorino cream, and spicy aubergines - and it was amazing.

Following lunch, I made my way back to the hotel where I took a nap before heading to Don Nino’s for some gelato. I ordered a large cone with nocciola, caramel, chocolate, and a macaron on top. It was extra yum! After enjoying my gelato, I returned to my hotel for the night.

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

I started my day at 8 am and walked along Via del Roma towards the Ponte Vecchio bridge. I stopped at Piazza della Republica to take a photo and then headed towards the bridge. Surprisingly, it was empty, and I was able to capture some beautiful shots. On my way back to the hotel, I made a stop at the Fontana del Porecillino, where I rubbed the bronze boar’s nose and threw a coin on its tongue — it fell into the grate on the first attempt.

After returning to the hotel and sorting out pictures, I went to Piazza San Lorenzo to find Trattoria Sergio Gozzi. I located the restaurant and then proceeded to Palazzo Medici Ricardi to explore their exhibits, followed by stopping by the gift shop to buy souvenirs.

Later, I returned to Piazza San Lorenzo and waited until noon, when Trattoria Sergio Gozzi opened. I had Tortelli with truffle sauce; it was delicious. After lunch, I went to the church of San Lorenzo to explore and next visited Palazzo Strozzi to see the Going to the Stars exhibit, which was incredible! The best part was the big fluffy spinning things that were touchable - I love interactive exhibits. After the exhibit, I made a goodbye visit to La Strega Nocciolo Gelateria Artigianale and had a large cup of Strawberry, Nocciolo, and Dark Chocolate ice cream. Lastly, I visited the Lindt chocolate store, where I went overboard with purchasing chocolates. But when your hotel is located next to a chocolate store, getting too many chocolates is inevitable. Finally, I went back to the hotel and began eating all the chocolates I purchased at the Lindt Chocolate shop.

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

I woke up and got ready for the morning. I packed the rest of my things in my bags before heading up to have breakfast at around 7:30 a.m.

After breakfast, I took the tram 🚊 to the airport. I arrived at the tram station at 8:05 a.m. and reached the airport by 8:30 a.m. I went through security and made my way to gate 5. From there, I flew to Zurich.

After a nine-hour flight, we finally landed at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. From there, I walked a long way to reach the Global Entry kiosks. The kiosks were acting up and wouldn't accept my photo, so the man at the counter said “Your good, take this card to the exit guy”.

At the exit line, a lady at the front of the line was advising people that they should have their declaration card ready. However, the exit person didn't require my card and let me through. I was a bit confused about where to go, so I asked an airport staff member who directed me through a door to a train headed for Terminal 2.

The pre-check lines at Terminal 2 were closed, so I had to go through one line where I received a “Pre-check” card which meant I did not have to take my shoes off but still had to remove my jacket. I forgot that my metal pen was in my wallet, so I had to go through the metal detector again. However, the lady in charge was kind to me.

After that, I walked endlessly to Gate F14, where I boarded my flight, glad that I had paid for priority boarding. I was in boarding group 2, which allowed me to get on the plane before all the overhead bins were filled.

Finally, I landed in Nashville and got a Lyft ride back home. It was good to be back.

Using points from my Capital One Venture X card, I managed to offset some travel-related expenses, which significantly reduced the overall cost of the trip.