Florence, Italy with Jason

Jason & I took the train, TrenItalia down to Florence. Mom has booked us a fast train ticket but we had gotten on the slow train by mistake bringing us in an hour later. On top of that, we were charged 50€ extra for being on the wrong train. Jason & I were pissed, but things were fantastic when we reached Florence.

My friend, Lorena lived in Florence for 1 semester & is also Italian so she was able to recommend delicious places:

1. Lunch/Dinner at Gusta Osteria (Via de Michelozzi 12/R).
2. Dessert at Gelateria dei Neri (Via dei Neri,9) near the Duomo. They have great gelato & cannolis.
3. Lunch at All' Antico Vinaio (Via dei Neri, 65R). The best sandwich shop I've ever been to.
4. Dinner at Academia (Piazza San Marco) recommended by my friend, Kieran. All of these eats are very affordable on a shoestring budget, authentic, & delicious.

If you're looking for nightlife, look for the Lochness Lounge along Via di Benci. There's a great hookah place next door & many bars surrounding that street. Jason & I had plenty of wine, got a hookah to share, talking, & acted silly while getting lost in the streets of Florence. It was a memorable night for sure.

Jason & I also visited the Duomo. We had clearly purchased tickets online & printed them as the ticket said to do, but the bar code was too small to scan & the people working there could care less about 2 English speakers. Be sure you have a large bar code to scan or be savvy like me & bring it up on your smartphone & enlarge it (I know, genius).

We looked around the museum, which I didn't think was that impressive, but maybe because Jason & I were still angry about the whole ticket situation. We then walked ALL THE WAY up the bell tower & got amazing pictures of the views of Florence. I definitely recommend touring the Duomo. 

I must also mention Hotel Casci. The staff was so friendly, the hotel was clean, & the room was reasonably priced for its amazing location (right next to the Duomo, nightlife, & all the restaurants I mentioned). I would definitely recommend Hotel Casci to have an amazing Florence experience without breaking the bank.

Unfortunately after such an amazing trip, we hit problems again. We had to switch trains in Padova to get back to Vicenza. We pulled into Padova late but had about 3 minutes to spare to catch the next train. The door was open & we were about to get on when the conductor put out his hand blocking us from getting on & the doors shut. TrenItalia has HORRIBLE customer service & treats their American (or maybe all foreign) customers like dirt. It's too bad TrenItalia is the only train choice. All I can say is be on time & ask the conductor if you're on the right train before getting on.

Despite the horrible customer service at the Duomo museum & with TrenItalia, it was a wonderfully romantic & perfect trip to Florence. Thanks for booking it, Mom!

Until next time 💗

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