Wandering Firenze

Forrest and I were invited to a wedding outside of Florence in October. This was my second time visiting the city and I was so excited to return and hoped to visit the Uffizi Gallery.

Forrest flew in from working in Copenhagen, so I traveled to Italy solo. I had an overnight flight from JFK to CDG - Paris, Charles de Gaulle Airport. This airport was a wonderful place to have a layover. The bathrooms were perfect to refresh and the shops were conducive for window shopping. I had a mini panic when my flight was not on the flight board, but eventually realized that these small connecting flights board very quickly and that there is little time between boarding at each gate.

I arrived at the small airport in Florence and waited for Forrest’s flight to land. Then we were off to our cute little airbnb titled The Temple of Art. This place was one of the most unique and historic places I have stayed. We loved how close this place was to the main sites, but also realized how close it was to the popular bars once we were in bed. Italians stay out quite late and American tourists are very loud. This old flat did not keep the sound out and I was struggling to sleep all night. I finally gave up on trying to sleep and was just getting up when I heard someone trying to get in, but we had used the deadbolt. We very quickly realized the time was NOON and that is was the cleaner trying to get in. The panic set in - I had missed our reservations at Uffizi and Forrest was supposed to be at the wedding rehearsal in the countryside. I don’t think we (mostly me) have ever gotten ready so quickly.

We finally found a cab and arrived at Villa Medicea di Lilliano Wine Estate. Luckily our friends were outside because we hadn’t even had the chance to get the proper currency to pay the taxi yet. We got checked into our gorgeous villas. I could have stayed there for a week. The bathrooms were luxurious and the kitchen was so unique. There was a large table for gathering and a galley kitchen hidden behind bright yellow cabinets. I have never seen a kitchen design like it.

The location was perfect for a fairytale wedding. We had a wonderful time at all of the festivities and ate the best food of the entire trip. Pasta, seafood, cheese, wine, pasta - what more do you need? There were so many special touches throughout the wedding. It was also great to explore with friends and hear about everyone’s adventures in Italy. Most people had spent a week or two in the area, but we did not have as much time. We soaked in the beauty of the Villa’s location and time spent with friends.

The rest of trip was unplanned, so we spent a full day back in Florence. We wandered throughout the streets and discovered so many areas. I especially loved crossing the Arno river and enjoying a gelato and walk up to the Piazzale Michelangelo for a remarkable view of the duomo.