It has been a few months since I last had a nice getaway from reality. I think I spent most of the first quarter of the year traveling that I went through a phase where I just needed some time to settle back into my routine. I’ve been getting itchy feet lately, but travel plans are currently on hold whilst I take another (hesitant) step forward into adulthood – exciting news to be announced soon, fingers crossed!
So for the moment, I’ll be looking back and reminiscing over old travel photos that I’ve been meaning to post, and what better time than #throwbackthursday …
One of my favourite trips this year was to Florence with my best friend – after 8 years (!) of failed attempts, we finally made that combined birthday trip together, albeit slightly last minute …
We booked a cosy Airbnb, round the corner from Piazza Santo Spirito – cheap and cheerful, and a good central location, surrounded by plenty of restaurants. Our first coffee spot was Ditta Artigianale, a smart-looking speciality coffee shop which does great coffee, and a pretty good tiramisu.
We were really lucky with the weather when we arrived – apparently there had been quite a lot of rain just a few days before. We basked in the glorious sunshine around Palazzo Pitti, before we headed towards the river Arno to watch the sunset.
We took A LOT of photos … at one point we became acquainted with a fellow tourist who took much fancier shots of me and the last rays of light with his camera (pictured at the corner of one of the photos below). They were really good photos, but sadly they never reached my email inbox. Such is life …
We had dinner at one of the local restaurants recommended by our host, Davide – Tamerò Pasta Bar, a hip spot in Santo Spirito that does great pasta.
We ate good food, we walked a lot, we laughed, we listened to a cello street performer playing the most beautiful tunes … it was a good night.
Being the ambitious tourists that we are, we decided to squeeze in a daytrip to Verona, where there were perfect blue skies and plenty more photo opportunities …
There was of course coffee and dessert first to kickstart our day …
Back in Florence the next day, we ended up at the Uffizi Gallery, after I mistakenly assumed that there we would find the Statue of David … it was beautiful inside, nonetheless, which boasts exceptional collections of Renaissance paintings and sculptures.
Whilst on our way to lunch, we stumbled upon a charming local shop, La Bottega dei Cristalli, where a quick browse for a simple gift turned out to become a full-on session of trying on multiple necklaces and rings before we walked out with my birthday gift of carefully picked Murano glass jewellery pieces. I loved them so much that I wore them straight away to lunch, at Trattoria La Burrasca, a quaint restaurant that serves good food with a smile – thank you Vivienne for the recommendation!
Like tourists, we flocked towards the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, the main church of Florence, before we headed back towards the river to check out Ponte Vecchio, a medieval stone closed bridge, and the oldest bridge in Florence.
After a failed first attempt, we did eventually seek out the Statue of David at Gallerie dell’Accademia. We had after all come this far … and things always look so much better in real life.
I don’t really make stringent lists for my trips, but I had my eye on a particular cafe that I had wanted to visit – La Ménagère, a rustic cafe/restaurant where we stopped by for some coffee and cake (ps: the carrot cake and tiramisu were delicious). I loved the decor and interior, and would love to return for dinner on my next trip.
If you’re looking for some unique jewellery, check out Lo Spillo. It’s a really tiny shop run by a lovely Japanese lady that makes all the pieces by hand! – thank you Marta for the recommendation x
This post is mainly a compilation of photos for memory’s sake (and the parents back home can finally view them – sorry it took so long Mum!), but I’ll be sure to post more structured travel stuff soon. Life priorities and all that …
And a special thank you to the bestie for making it all happen – until some dashing gentleman comes around and sweeps me off my feet, I’m afraid that you’re going to be stuck with me for a while … x
The Cheekster, signing out x