Michelangelos, Leonardos, Botticellis, oh my!

Welcome to the jewel of Renaissance Italy, the former home of those saucy Medicis, and the current home of Ferragamo: 

Florence!

At first I felt overwhelmed because there was just so much I wanted to do, but it was really when we stopped doing that we saw what a magnificent city Florence really is. 

Here are a few must sees in this Italian dream of a town: 

Galleria degli Uffizi: This museum houses renaissance masterpieces including the Birth of Venus. 

Galleria dell'Accademia: Highly recommended to have your hotel make a reservation for you here and at the Uffizi. We just waltzed right in while others waited 2-4 hours because they didn't have reservations (don't be that guy either.) See my next post for my epiphany regarding the David...

Ponte Vecchio: Shops built onto the bridge over the Arno River, so cool

Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens: former Medici castle

Piazzale Michelangelo: took a little hike up this hill and to overlook the city and have some of their delicious Italian white wines!

Duomo: unbelievable and unexpected 

Battistero: where the "Gates of Paradise" doors are; the answer of which is Rodin's "Gates of Hell" for any Rodin fans out there

And the list goes on and on...

Finally, we spent our time drifting from piazza to piazza, enoteca (wine bar) to enoteca. The Italians really have it down!