In the “Cudablin” project, we send completely different people on trips at our expense! Evgenia Danilkova visited Florence: she took photographs with Italians, visited the Gucci Museum and decided that one visit was not enough for this city. More details in her report!
I love Italy and everything connected with it! When OneTwoTrip offered me an Italian mini-vacation as part of the Kudablin project, I agreed immediately. Florence, Genoa or Catania? Most of my readers voted for Florence. And it’s not surprising, because many want to return there again and again!
How to get to Florence from Moscow? There are no direct flights, there are options from Lufthansa with connections in Germany, Alitalia with connections in Rome or Milan, as well as direct flights to Pisa or Verona and then transfer to a train to Florence. In our case, the most inexpensive and time-convenient option was to fly through Germany directly to Florence airport. We booked tickets in the mobile application, because the prices there were 2000 rubles more favorable than on the website and in other search engines.
Florence airport is very small and is located 20 minutes from the city. From there you can get to the center by taxi for 20 euros or by bus for 6 euros. We chose a bus – its final stop was very close to our hotel. Housing in Florence is quite inexpensive. A double room at The Alba Palace hotel with breakfast and a 24-hour snack bar cost us 100 euros for 2 nights. I recommend this place – for a three-star hotel everything turned out to be great!
We had 2 full days to enjoy beautiful Florence and complete the OneTwoTrip challenge. We had to take 10 selfies with Italians in front of the main attractions. Not the easiest task, considering that it’s not so easy for me to walk up to a stranger and ask him to take a photo. I was glad that Italians are very open and friendly, and, having tuned in to the right wave and remembering all my sales skills, I did it! It turned out that the most difficult thing is to start. After the first time, all other photos were easier. This task gave the trip that unique “zest”!
What to see in Florence in 2 days? The city has a lot of attractions, museums, and galleries. It’s best to download an offline guide and just start walking around the center. Something interesting and important for the city happened in every third house. The Duomo, Giotto’s Campanile, the Baptistery, the Church of Santa Maria Del Fiore, Piazza della Signoria, the Basilica of Santa Croce, the Uffizi Gallery, the Palazzo Pitti, the Boboli Gardens are just some of the beauty that is worth seeing. We went into the Palazzo Vecchio, appreciated the luxurious decoration inside and went up to the observation deck to admire the magnificent views. Fashion is a huge passion of mine and part of my job, so the Gucci Museum and the Ferragamo Museum were a must-see. Very interesting exhibitions, not similar to each other. I can’t choose which one I liked more – I recommend visiting both museums!
Towards evening it’s time to take a walk to the Ponte Vecchio bridge. From there you can enjoy a wonderful view of the city, and along the bridge there are numerous jewelry stores dating back to the Medici era. On Sunday we accidentally came across an atmospheric flea market near the Church of Santo Spirito. I didn’t have much time, but I managed to grab some vintage jewelry at a good price. The goods there are varied – you can find interior items, furniture, inexpensive things, or a vintage Chanel bag for 450 euros.
To find the best food, get off the main tourist streets and into the side streets. It is there, in small cafes, that you can find truly delicious and inexpensive pizza, pasta, lasagna and excellent Italian coffee.
Florence enchants with its beautiful architecture, narrow streets and creative atmosphere. This is a city where you want to return and enjoy everything that surrounds you.
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Text and photo by: Evgenia Danilkova (@kickyjane)
Preview photo: unsplash.com
