A Week in Italy: Day 7

With a brief hotel breakfast that left me even more hungry, we took off in the rain in search of espresso and a croissant. After slipping and sliding down the narrow streets we came upon Gran Caffè. Assisi is eerily quiet in the morning with a population of fewer than 30,000 people that all seem to be late risers. The town is gorgeous in the rain - as is much of Italy I assume - but my raincoat and I would've loved a break from the constant battering of weather.

Around noon we left promptly from the hotel, boarding the bus and making headway towards Florence our final stop on our Italy excursion. A short 2 hours later we parked outside the city limits struggling to gain entry into the city. To enter cities in Italy you have to pay and entering with a giant bus requires additional paperwork that must be completed and checked upon arrival at certain checkpoints. The checkpoint we arrived at was closed so we had to sit at the checkpoint for 30 minutes.

Florence traffic was a breath of fresh air compared to Rome. Driving into the city and finding a place to pull over was a piece of cake - I mean I didn't drive the bus but I'd assume so considering the lack of consistent honking.

Hotel California - yes I know the song by heart - is located conveniently one block north of the Cattedrale di Santa Mana del Fiore and one block south of the Galleria dell'Accademia. The location is prime for walking around Florence, breakfast is provided, and the rooms aren't too shabby either. Note: Many hotels in Europe require guests to hand in room keys every time they leave the hotel which can be rather inconvenient for roommates when they go separate ways. Some may try to sneak the key out in their pockets but concierge are fearlessly confrontation so just be a good guest and hand in the key.

Hotel California

After checking in we set off for a walking tour with Lizzy. We walked by the infamous cathedral, neighboring basilica, and ended in the Piazza Della Signoria overlooking Pallazzo Vecchio. Florence - the capital of Tuscany - is considered to be the birthplace of the Renaissance and was once home to the notorious Medici family. The abundance of art is evident in the Galleria dell' Accademia and Uffizi Gallery.

Wandering about I immediately spotted a gelateria that caught my eye. With cases filled with large mounds of colorful, creamy deliciousness I let my taste buds get the best of me as I ordered a cone-filled mile high with mango and raspberry gelato. Caffé Fiorenza has my heart. I'd be hard-pressed to find better gelato.

With the wind causing my hair to tangle as I struggled to eat my early dessert my friend and I browsed the various street vendors boasting Italian leather products as well as jewelry and tacky souvenirs. My feet eventually found their way towards a street vendor filled with any and all types of jewelry. My eye was immediately drawn towards the mosaic glass pieces that I had originally discovered on Murano island in Venice. To sweet female vendor spoke little to no English but if you're ever in Florence look for a jewelry street vendor cart in Piazza della Repubblica.

Later that evening I went out for dinner at Buca Niccolini - an Italian restaurant with a candlelight ambiance and a rather large menu. I sipped on a prosecco and slowly made my way through a hearty serving of tortellini alla bolognese. To put a cherry on top, we were given Limoncello shots as a digestive.

Ristorante pizzeria Buca Niccolini a Firenze

Step Count: 8,810 steps