Best European Destinations for a Weekend Away

And the voices in the waves are always whispering to Florence, in their ceaseless murmuring, of love – of love, eternal and illimitable, not bounded by the confines of this world, or by the end of time, but ranging still, beyond the sea, beyond the sky, to the invisible country far away!

Charles Dickens

Before Covid, I did a lot of traveling simply because I love it so much, since the world has reopened for business, I’ve hardly done any traveling at all, I’ve kind of lost my travel mojo so, this week I’ve dusted off my travel guides and have been trawling the interwebs for inspiration and I’m excited, I feel I’m back in the saddle and ready to take my passport out of the top draw in my bedroom! I’ve posted a few travel related things in the past and by way of a demonstration of my lack of mojo, looking back through my posts, I’ve not done anything travel related since last April, and that didn’t really count as it was about London! So, I’m going to try and do a bit of a series on places that are either on my bucket list or places I’m longing to return to.

This week I’m going to write about one of my most favourite places in the world, La splendida città di Firenze! I’ve been to Florence a few times now and have got to know the place fairly so, if you have just 48 hours in the city, here’s my suggestions;

Day 1 in Florence

No trip to Florence would be complete without seeing the Cathedral or Duomo. It looks almost surreal, such is its photogenic appeal by day or by night. Construction on the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, to give its full name, started in 1296 and it was completed in 1436. The exterior is covered in exquisite marble panels. It’s a good place to get your bearings of the city, being located right slap bang in the centre!

Close by on Piazza della Signoria, there’s an impressive replica of the statue of David by Michelangelo. The original is inside the Galleria dell’ Accademia and breath-taking in its detail. Also on Piazza della Signoria, you’ll find the Fountain of Neptune by Bartolomeo Ammannati. It was commissioned in 1559 and completed in 1574. The statue is currently being restored thanks to the benefactor Salvatore Ferragmo, and very soon water will be running through the fountain again!

Did you know that Florence had its very own version of the Last Supper? It’s by the Italian Renaissance artist Domenico Ghirlandaio rather than Leonardo da Vinci and dates from 1480. Located inside the Convent of the Ognissanti on Borgo Ognissanti, The Last Supper of Ognissanti is well worth a look. Ghirlandaio later helped to complete the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

Of course, you’ll want to try some delicious gelato whilst you are here. Two of my favorites are Grom on Via del Campanile and Vivoli on Via dell’Isola delle Stinche!

If like me, you’re partial to a little shopping, especially if it’s in quirky, unique places you’ll love Officina Profumo – Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella on Via Reginaldo Giuliani. It’s one of the oldest pharmacies in the world, founded by Dominican friars in 1221 and opened to the general public in 1612. They have some lovely diffusors and beautiful candles that make great gifts!

Where to stay

There are loads and loads of fabulous hotels in Florence, you’ve got the usual Hilton’s and Marriott’s however, my advice would be to try one of the many boutique hotels right in the centre, their location couldn’t be better, you get the feeling you’re right in the thick of it and you’ll be surprised by the price! As the tourist’s throng around Piazza del Duomo, step away into a quiet, shady courtyard and back in time. Now you are the guests of Marchese and Marchesa Niccolini di Camugliano in the frescoed Palazzo Niccolini Al Duomo which has been in their family since the 16th century, and swirling modern life melts away. Honestly, I’ve never felt more like a princess in all my life, take a quick peep at the website here and you’ll understand why!

I’m not going to talk about what and where to eat, that’s a post in itself! Watch this post!

Day 2 in Florence

Get up early, don’t waste a second in this wonderful city and take a walk along the Arno river, near the Santa Rosa Weir for a relaxing start to the day. Cross over the Arno on the world-famous Ponte Vecchio. This medieval bridge houses a number of art dealers and jewellery shops.

For a panoramic view over the whole of Florence and the surrounding area, head up to Piazzale Michelangelo. Before the climb, there’s an excellent family-run restaurant, Zeb Gastronomia. Their home-made fresh pasta is to die for! On the way, you’ll pass through a charming rose garden with several artworks by Jean-Michel Folon, a talented Belgian sculptor. Look out for the quirky Suitcase Sculpture called Partir made by the Belgian artist Jean Michel Folon, it’s the subject of many a Florentine vista photograph!

Nearby, the Basilica San Miniato al Monte on via delle Porte Sante is a beautiful Romanesque building built between the 11th and 13th century, it’s well worth a look! Make your way back down the hill, to Piazza del Mercato Nuovo. There are quite a few stalls selling leather and silk goods and plenty of places to eat nearby. The main attraction, however, is the Fontana del Porcellino.

Don’t leave Florence without giving the little bronze pig a rub on his snout and to place a coin in his mouth – it’s good luck! Legend has it that if the coin then falls into the grate below, you’ll definitely return to Florence, I gave my coin a little nudge just to make sure!

If you’ve read my blog for any great length of time, you’ll know I’m a huge lover of art so, it might be a surprise not to see reference to the Uffizi, one of the greatest galleries in the world? Yes it is one of the most amazing places on the planet but, to simply nip in, race around the galleries in an hour is sacrilege, I’ve spent an entire day in their and still not seen everything so, if you want to make the Uffizi part of your break, you’re going to need an additional day!

What’s on this week?