We had an amazing time in Italy. Our week in Florence was filled with great food and wine, beautiful views and an overwhelming amount of art. And best of all, we were child-free! It was great to sleep in, do whatever we wanted, to reconnect and relax. And eat gelato.
We left Des Moines on Wednesday afternoon, flying to Minneapolis and then Paris, and then on to Florence. Everything was going well until we arrived in Paris on Thursday morning, where border control was so slow that we missed our connection to Florence. We ended up spending more than 10 hours in the Paris airport, jet lagged and frustrated. We finally arrived in Florence on Thursday evening, but naturally our luggage didn't.
After a big night of sleep, we took off to explore the city. My luggage arrived that morning, but Kent's was still missing, so we did a little shopping too.
We wandered narrow streets that led to large public squares, where art and people-watching was plentiful. The city's iconic landmark, the Duomo, towers over the city.
On our second day, we visited the impressive Galleria dell'Accademia. Michelangelo's masterpiece in marble, David, was far more impressive than I expected—17 feet tall and carved with such incredible detail that you can see the veins on his hands.
We also spent a morning exploring the Uffizi, one of the world's great art museums. While the Renaissance is admittedly not my favorite art period, I still found the collection and the way it was displayed amazing.
One day we climbed to the top of the Duomo's cupola, a claustrophobic, winding hike up narrow stone steps. The city was lovely from above, with its red-tiled roofs surrounded by the rolling Tuscan landscape.
When we were on the ground, we spent a lot of time looking up. The city's architecture is distinct and beautiful.
Even the doors were ornate and grand:
One evening just as the sun was setting, we took a taxi to the Piazzale Michelangelo, which sits above the city and offers panoramic views. It's a total tourist trap, but it was lovely!
We also explored Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge over the River Arno. It was the only bridge left standing after the Germans retreated from the city during World War II.
On our last day in Florence, we went to the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens, where we spent a lot of time wandering among lush greenery, fountains and grottos. This was one of my favorite places that we visited.
We really loved this beautiful city, and there was so much more that we missed.
We left Florence on a Tuesday and flew to Amsterdam, where we had a 20-hour layover. It was just long enough to see a glimpse of the city, take a boat tour and eat some Dutch pastries. I loved all the houseboats docked in the canals.
It was a magical week, a perfect break from the chaos of our lives. Many thanks to Peggy and Mac, as well as Lindsay and Kyle, who took loving care of our boys while we were gone.
