Florence Travel Blogs, Travelogues and Travel Journals

Rain + Campsite = they don't get along very well! Sleeping in a tent isn't so bad. Well, that is if you're already asleep because before that you'll first hear all sorts of noises from the city like cars honking, motorcycles roaring, church bells ding dong ding-ing (wth?), sirens screaming, dogs barking, football fans shouting, mosquitoes weezing, italian men chuckling, etc etc. Tents are not sound proofed but at least they keep you from the rain only it shouldn't rain too much until late in…

Pff... Looked at the window when I woke up. Rain Rain Rain Rain! :( I didnt wanna go outside but I was in florence so i've to! Everyone walked with an umbrella but I did not. They looked at me if I became crazy. Yes I was! Totally wet and frozen. I walked around the duomo and saw so many ppl waiting that they could get in. I didnt want to wait in the rain, had to see more things. Later on I saw door that was empty just a few people went in. I didnt know what it was so i decided to take a lo…

My dad came to visit me in Florence, which was really cool. He came by train from Milan and he was there for our group's last night in Florence. He was really tired since he had flown from Minneapolis, traveled around Milan fora few hours, then took the train to Florence. I think he was awake for over a day! In any case, once he was settled into his teeny hotel for the night, he came to say hi and took a picture of some of us on the steps of the Duomo. We made our plans to meet up the next da…

“O-o-oh MAN!” that’s got to be the first uninterrupted refreshing nights sleep I’ve had in a week!  “Phew!”  I needed it though, I can’t deny my slightly negative, well not negative but non-committal response to Florence so far is slightly shaded by small forms of exhaustion.  I’m still up early this mornin’ don’t get me wrong but it was a good snooze nevertheless.  The breakfast hall is absolutely rammed with young French people.  Barely a seat in…

When we arrived in Florence - we noticed this parade of people and didn't know what was going on - of course Rob and I broke out the cameras and started shooting photos...mine is just a sampling. Rob has the amazing photos - hopefully he'll have it up soon!

On my last day in Italy I visited Florence. This was the number one on my 'to see list', thought most of my travel mates liked Siena more (I certainly disagree). Florence is truly a beautiful city. Huge but full of life, and so totally different than Rome. Ones in the centre there are almost no cars anymore. The streets here are small and covered with a small kind of cobble stones. Every single one of them roads eventually leads to a square. And each square has its own church, chapel …

Hey guys,  I am finally sitting here in Florence in a hostel and actually have a few minutes to update my blogs and post photos. After Rome I have gone down to Pompeii and then Sorrento/Amalfi. Pompeii I can"t rly describe in words and since my camera was out of juice when I went there you will have to use your imagination. To say that it was amazing would be an understatement, when you look at that city it is very difficult to believe that its life ended almost 2000 years ago. The sop…

 Florence   Heavily trodden streets of Florence. Every little corner. Bizzy, buzzy, fizzy. Like gas in an open bottle of Champaign. Group of tourists following their leaders, who are holding colorful umbrellas (to be easily spotted). And I’m standing in the middle of the San Giovanni Piazza…Silently absorbing the morning sun.   Florence, the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany, is definitely a pearl of Renaissance.   In the religious heart of today's…

OK, I know that's the name of a movie, which I failed to see because it was a romance flick, but don't fail to see Tuscany if you are ever in Italy!  I spent Saturday on a tour through Tuscany and it was incredible!  First stop was Siena, where I spent a few hours strolling the streets.  They had just had their Palio on the 2nd, which is a horserace in the center of town where the city districts compete with one another.  It's a very big deal apparently.  The c…

-Still under construction- I need to put in order my head to remember details and interesting things to write about..I hope to do it soon.. Meanwhile some pictures to share..

The 3rd day of the Tuscany trip was all in Florence.  Once again thank god for GPS systems.  My garman took us right to the main station and the parking garage.  This is where our hop on hop off bus tour picked us up.  Unlike Pisa,  these buses for pretty full.  Our first stop was the Basillica di Santa Maria del Fiore,  or the duomo.  Then we walked up to the Galleria dell'Accademia to see Michelangelo's David but the line was very …

Staying in this hostel was a fascinating experience. The view from the dorm was amazing, and I believe that someone once had the same view as mine 800 years ago.  Their were only 3 guests in the hostel; my brother Nok, Mark (a Canadian back packer), and I.  Great relaxation but a bit spooky sometimes.

I just wrote an entire entry and the computer didn't save it so i'll just give it to you straight.  drove to pisa, took cheesey photos, drove to florence.  had dinner with endless wine supply in the tuscan hills.  went to cheesey discotech and had a drink. caught taxi back to hotel.  woke up the next morning confused b/c our room was a messs.  p.s. i'm tired of continental breakfasts, i want some eggs please. -Rach

my trip thru europe by rail.

It was our last full day in Florence, and our time in Italy was nearing an end.   It was also a national holiday in Italy, because this was Epiphany, or the twelfth day of Christmas.  This is a Christian holiday that is a big deal in Italy. We decided to start by walking towards the Accademia to see The David.  On our way we stopped for lunch at a small pizza place.  Florence was absolutely our best stop when it came to food.  The pizza was great …