florence: a city flourished in fashion, food & all things fabulous.
We were anxious to finally arrive to Florence after being told what a beautiful city it is. Now, we can confidently say that it doesn’t disappoint.
Our time in Florence started as we arrived to our adorable bed and breakfast, Antica Dimora Johlea. Not only was our room comfortable and the antique decor tasteful, we also had access to rooftop overlooking the entire city. We took full advantage of it and enjoyed the view surrounded by flowers and sunshine.
We didn’t want to leave the adorable B&B, but we had a city to explore!
The staff at Antica Dimora Johlea gave us directions and suggestions of important places in Florence that we must see. We have formed a habit of collecting locals’ favorite things to do in each city we travel to. Locals have a different aspect on what truly shows the beauty of their city rather than the usual tour guide spiel – we love to get the insider insight.
We began our stroll to city center, only about a ten minute walk (with plenty to see along the way) from our hotel.
Before we knew it, we ran into the breathtaking Duomo. But really, you can’t miss it. The details, size and colors of this building were impossible to take our eyes off of.
Across the cobblestone street from the Duomo was another beautiful structure that caught our eye… It is called Mister Pizza. Mister Pizza is a gluten free pizza place that has the perfect marinara, fresh tomatoes and herb combination. We couldn’t stay away for obvious reasons.
We are not ashamed to admit that we ate at Mister Pizza four times during our short stay in Florence. Come on, look at that view.
Oh wait, we meant that view…
After our loved ones back home were reassured we weren’t starving in the streets of Florence, we continued on our way through the magical city. Florence is a small city compared to other major Italian hot spots. We loved the close atmosphere and simplicity when it came to navigating our way through the streets. Around every corner, there were beautiful buildings and churches to peek inside, massive statues to gaze at and a shopping selection made up from a dream.
Each day, we found something new and exciting that made us fall in love with Florence all over again. We must say, our favorite hidden gem in Florence was pretty sweet.
Amorino had our hearts from the beginning. We made it a ritual to get Florence’s flower-shaped gelato at least once, if not twice, a day. As if it could get any better, Amorino prides itself in all natural ingredients – and you can taste the difference!
Each cone was created with care and technique to form a flower filled with unlimited flavors. Yes, unlimited.
As our last day in Florence approached, we made our way across the bridge and entered a fairy tale.
The Boboli Gardens were a perfect place to end our time in Florence. As travelers, we find ourselves in trains, planes and big cities more than anything. The fresh air, sea of deep evergreen and open space made us feel as if we were in a storybook.
Before we knew it, our time in Florence was near its end. Although we were sad, we decided that this will definitely be on the list of cities we must return to – it is too stunning and delicious not to.
Off we went to our next destination just a few kilometers outside of town…
Goodbye, Florence. Hello, Tuscany.
xo, della & rae
map of madeline. 