Fierenze! 

Oh, how I LOVE Florence. This is another Italian city I visited with my dear friends during our Study Abroad (See blog posts HERE and HERE). We fell in love with the city, people and culture then, and it is a city I could return to again and again. I was so excited to share this city with Ryan. Our train ride to Florence was so easy. We spent the time on the train getting ready for our next destination, and before we knew it, we were there.

Our accommodations in Florence were at a quaint B&B built in a building from the 13^th century – what was then a convent. There was so much character, and our host was so gracious and kind, it was like we were old friends. In fact, her recommendation for Gelato was our favorite gelato in Italy!!

The street our B&B was on. I love the ivy.

Where we had breakfast. The brickwork is just beautiful.

 We wasted no time in Florence and immediately went to The Academia and Uffizi Galleries to soak up the art and inspiration from Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael and others. 

The Accademia. Not much to look at from the outside. Also, not many photos allowed inside,  so not much to share here!

This one is titled: Charity. Just gorgeous.

The David is always an incredibly inspiring work of art to see in person.  Other favorites include The Birth of Venus, Allegory of Spring, and Madonna of the Goldfinch. 

Replica of the David in the square.

The Uffizi Gallery has an incredible roof top, so we spent a few minutes soaking up the sun and the beautiful tops of the buildings in Florence. 

We walked over to Ponte Vecchio to get our first gelato of the day and enjoy the beautiful sunset over the yellow bridge. There were musicians playing on the bridge which made it even more amazing to be there and enjoy the evening.

Tradition to secure a lock with your lover.

Soon we were hungry so we followed Rick Steve’s guide to a cute little mom & pop restaurant to go to and were lucky enough to be there when it opened to grab a table. We were seated next to a fun couple from Michigan who had just come from Rome. They loved telling us of their travels so far and we shared a few tips from Venice. The Chef in the restaurant looked like a character from a movie. We could see him working in the kitchen from our table and it was so fun to watch. We had friend bread which was to-die-for, and my ravioli’s were AMAZING. (ps. I can't believe I didn't take any photos of this place -- one of those times when you just enjoy the experience and not worry about capturing it with pictures). 

 

Day 2 in Florence was just as good as the first. We started at the Duomo. Wow, this building can only be appreciated up close. The colored marble and incredibly intricate designs are just unbelievable. I think my favorite part about this church, however, is the simplicity of the design on the inside of the building. 

Love these oversized doors.

Port Window-- amazing.

Close-up of the detail on the building.

Can we get a little more Duomo in that photo? This place was jam-packed with people.

After the Duomo, we wandered through town. We walked through the open-air market and explored other churches nearby (how many large churches does one town need?). We also took time to enjoy a siesta.

Church and market.

I loved this quiet courtyard. An escape from the hustle and bustle of a thriving city.

Enjoying Florence.

After lunch and our siesta, we grabbed gelato and made our way to the Michelangelo look out. On the way we stopped at a few places...

The lookout was one of our favorite things in Florence. Looking out over the city from the hill was incredibly beautiful. I also loved seeing the Tuscany landscape and rolling hills in the background of the city. 

A beautiful church was also built on this hill, so we went inside and heard the monks chant their service—something I had experienced before and was so cool to listen to again. 

In front of the family cemetery at the church, overlooking Florence.

The Duomo.

After spending time in the church we made our way down the hill and wandered through a part of the city we hadn’t been to before. We found a quiet square lined with restaurants and got a table in the square. 

Where we had dinner.

 It was another beautiful night and we enjoyed an incredible meal on the square. Of course we ended the night with the best gelato in Italy and enjoyed street musicians as we made our way back to our hotel. 

Yellow Bridge by night.

Street Artists.

Musicians in the square.

 Our next stop: Cinque Terre

Venice: The city of Romance

Venice is so unique. The buildings, canals and city design exude a character that so many others have tried to replicate-- but without success. I went to Venice with friends while I was living in London for Study Abroad and always wanted to return with my husband one day.

Now, I do have to admit- when we first got to Venice we were less than enchanted. It was congested, busy, hot and we were a little bit jet lagged. We found ourselves walking in circles for lunch when finally we decided to just pop in to a little store to grab some water. Lucky for us, I noticed the store owner (a sweet Italian woman) also had meats, cheese and bread. A few euro’s later we were happily sitting on the steps of an old church enjoying our picnic lunch. A great way to get started. 

We lucked out finding this cute little deli. The woman who owns the restaurant was Italian, could barely communicate with us -- so cute. And the sandwich was delicious.

On Rialto Bridge fighting for a spot for a photo!

 We walked all over the city and made our way towards St. Marc’s Square. Again, crowded small streets, and St Marc’s was just jam packed. We appreciated the buildings and the architecture but were glad to leave the area and find ourselves negotiating with a few vapparetto’s for a canal ride. 

In front of St. Marc's Square.

I love the detail on these buildings.

For us, a gondola ride was a must-do in Venice. Lucky for us it did not disappoint. Our guide took us on the quiet ‘streets’ (canals) and we were so relaxed and in awe of the incredible city. The bridges, buildings and city all of a sudden changed into this incredible place before our eyes. 

Ryan negotiating for a good deal on a ride.

Ryan's thinking pose.

Gorgeous.

We spent the afternoon getting lost down quiet streets and canals and before we knew it, we were trying to find a restaurant for dinner.

Pretty tight alley/street!

I LOVE these windows and flower boxes.

After a few places being booked, we decided to grab a pizza and picnic in a square.Wow. What a great decision. This may have been my favorite pizza of the trip! 

The weather was gorgeous that night and we were so happy to be outside on the square admiring the amazing buildings around us. We stopped for our first gelato after dinner, and it was AMAZING. Just the first of many, many gelatos. We walked hand-in-hand to our hotel and were excited for our next adventures to come. 

The next morning we enjoyed quiet streets and canals while we savored Venice just a little bit longer before heading to the train station on our way to Florence.

I love fall. 
The smell of crisp leaves, the beautiful colors in the trees, the brisk cool air. Savoring our fall walks in the park.

Leaf fight.

Jackson Park.

In Honor of the World Series

A few photos from our recent (Labor Day weekend) baseball game. Ryan's team is in the playoffs -- so we are definitely watching the Cards. We saw the Rangers play earlier this year at the Angels vs. Rangers game. Definitely a great team as well.

 

You can't see it under my sweatshirt (it was freezing that Labor Day) but I am wearing my CUBS t-shirt!

Leaf Peeping: Dreaming of that Alpine Loop Drive

A few weeks ago Ryan and I found ourselves in Utah for a brief weekend. We were blessed with incredible weather and the leaves were just starting to turn --- lucky for us, Dad lent us his BMW convertible and soon we were off in the mountains soaking up the trees, leaves and crisp fall air. It was perfect.