Snapshots of Florence

We didn’t plan to go to Florence. In fact, we planned quite specifically to go to either Lisbon or Madrid. Pretty much a month after we got back from Europe, we were planning to go again. It didn’t happen as quickly as we wanted, so we had a long time to plan (and replan) our next adventure. But when it came time to actually book the trip, flight options from Winnipeg were limited – and either wildly inexpensive or ridiculously inconvenient. Or both, in the case of Madrid. We needed a backup plan.

“What about Italy?” I said.

“Where in Italy?” Ian wanted to know.

I wasn’t sure. We love Rome, but we’ve been there often. And we had no desire to repeat our Venice experience from last year. Eventually, one of us suggested Florence. It met our very minimal criteria of having warm weather, being in Europe and being somewhere we hadn’t traveled together. Somehow, fortuitously, the flight prices were reasonable. And, despite the fact that Florence is a small city with a smaller airport, they were also surprisingly convenient, with short layovers. After all the months of planning, we changed our destination and made a booking the same day.

Sometimes, we find ourselves in exactly where we need to be, just when we need to be there. The more we read about Florence, the more we looked forward to our visit. In fact, the trip began to feel like it was the one we were supposed to take – before we’d even left.

That’s how Florence was – perfect, right from the start. Everything fell into place effortlessly. Our Airbnb was immaculate. The weather never deviated from sunshine for a minute. We didn’t have a single meal that wasn’t absolutely delicious. The scenery was charming everywhere we turned – our single disappointment of the trip came at Piazzale Michelangelo, and it was easily fixed by a dinner of pasta and bread, all generously topped with olive oil and washed down with red wine. I hate to bend to an overused and under-descriptive adjective, particularly twice in one paragraph, but it really was the perfect trip.

Florence is idyllic. The scenery is charming and often quirky since much of it is a bit out of date. Tourists abound, but only in specific locations – it’s easy to escape the crowds if you’re just willing to cross the river or walk a few blocks over. It’s quiet in the mornings, but you can always get a cornetto or two at the local bakery to go with your coffee. We did exactly that practically every day. It’s hard to sum up my feelings more succinctly than simply saying that I loved it. I would happily go back tomorrow if I could.