Days 11,12,13 in Florence

Ah, Firenze!! The last part of this trip has been just wonderful. What a big change coming from the little hill towns to the big city of Florence. Mama wasn't kidding when she said that there will be more shoe shops than you can shake a stick at here. 

When we arrived, we dropped our bags at the Westin while mom and dad returned the rental car. The man there was really nice and took great care of us even though we weren't even staying there. 

Once we checked into our rooms and saw mom and dads AMAZING upgraded room, we enjoyed a glass of wine on the patio before going out to shop a little and grab a bite to eat. One of our first big purchases was a beautiful leather jacket that mom and dad (mostly mom though) had a great time bargaining the price down on. 

We had dinner at Buca Mario and had so many yummy desserts - my sweet tooth was fully satisfied after that. I slept really hard that night and slept in till almost 11 the next morning. 

I skipped breakfast the next day and met up with mom and dad on the Ponte Vecchio. We had espressos and I had a fruit cup at a little cafe near there. 

Following the Ponte Vecchio, we went to the Duomo and saw the inside of the church and climbed the bell tower after. It is truly magnificent and magical. From the top of the bell tower we had terrific views and got a nice breath of fresh air after the 412 steps to the top! 

We also saw the Mercato which has been newly renovated. It was such fun to see all the vendors with their produce, meats, spices, fruits and oils. On the second level, there were rows of restaurants and tons of tables. We found a great little wine bar and had fun tasting different things. My favorite (no surprise) was a dessert wine that - dare I say - might even beat Vin Santo for me. As we were leaving, mom found a piano and couldn't resist playing a little. She sounded great even if her only competition was a little girl banging on the keys. 

That night, we got dinner at a really cool, avant-grade style restaurant that's owned by the Ferragamo family. It was very entertaining and delicious as well. 

The next morning, and our last full day in Florence, we spent shopping more and continuing to explore the city. In the morning we went to the Ferragamo museum and found the best little gelateria afterwards. My ricotta and fig and pistachio flavors were indescribably good. We saw the David around four and it was just breathtaking. I could have sat there looking at it for hours. Mom accidentally stepped on a street vendor's pictures and we all got a laugh out of that one. 

Our last dinner was at a fun little trattoria called the White Chinghale and it was our first time getting limoncello in Italy. It was just perfect and a great substitute for dessert. 

Although I'm beginning to feel quite ready to be back home, I know I will miss the wonderful shopping, food, wine, and character of Florence. Tomorrow we fly to Paris for one final day in Europe before the big flight home. Thankfully we are staying at the airport so we don't have to schlep our bags (no we did NOT pack light) across town. 36 hours from now and I will be back in the U.S. of A. with lots of souvenirs and many more memories.