Kilometres walked : Monday – 12.1 km, Tuesday – 14 km.

Tuesday 18th April, 2023.

Well hello again Florence😍 Visiting this beautiful city 23 years ago with Boo, it is just as magical now as it was back then. Jaw dropping architecture everywhere you look. Buildings steeped in history. Cobblestone streets built several hundred years ago. Marble sculptures beautifully worn with time. How is it possible to have this much beauty on such a huge scale that has survived for this long? Intricate carvings on the sides of buildings. Peeling and cracked frescos still visible. Ornate trims around windows. Magnificent doorways and entrances. This city takes your breath away.

Deciding to head across the Arno today and explore the Boboli Gardens, we set off past the food markets on the way. Getting very distracted eying off antiques that we couldn’t squeeze into our luggage and purchasing beautiful fresh produce for dinner and of course having an espresso with the locals we finally found ourselves at Piazzale Michelangelo. With stunning views across the city and beyond we sat mesmerised whilst enjoying our lunch.

Meandering down winding cobblestone streets and and up past the old original city wall we found ourselves completely mesmerised by the beautiful buildings and wisteria in full bloom, huge olive trees, classic fiat’s, old walls, craning our necks to take everything in. Eventually we admitted defeat in the fact we totally took a wrong turn somewhere and weren’t going to make it to the gardens today🤪 Oh well, we have all week. We eventually found our way back to The Ponte Vecchio and crossed back over the Arno and into a sea of tourists. We thought Amsterdam was busy, we’ll I’m pretty sure Florence is busier and crazier. At least we learned how to side step everyone and keep an eye out for bicycles and cars at the same time at the last stop😳

Florence, cradle of the Renaissance, romantic, architecturally mesmerising, home to some of the world’s most famous art, surrounded by rolling hills, cobblestone streets and amazing churches, I think I’m in love💕