Unfolded Maps

The Uffizi Gallery in Florence has many amazing artworks.  However, if you’ve been there before there are alternatives.  Unfortunately, Florence charges for church admissions so a Church Walk may be impractical but there are still many other ways to while away a day in Florence.

Search for the ultimate Florentine lasagne

My search was over at a café in the Piazza S. Maria Novela.  Others claim the best was in a café near the Duomo that used to be part of the tunnel system the Medici family used to avoid rubbing elbows with the commoners.  By then I had moved on to linguini.

Shop at the San Lorenzo Market

The place to go to find one of those beautiful Florentine scarves to wear the rest of you life.  I ended up getting three – one snagged by my sister.  The market is also the place to find all things leather.  After a cash mugging on the Rome subway I was marched to the market for a small bag to replace the large one I had on the trip (my bad!). I found a small navy blue bag that I continue to use at home and love.  It’s wonderful to not have to walk around with the equivalent of a small suitcase.

Walk over Ponte Vecchio

Each medieval bridge in Florence used to be the home of a different guild.  Ponte Vecchio was the goldsmith guild and the only surviving bridge after the Nazi occupation of World War 2.  Today it remains home to dozens of jewelers.

Visit David

Maybe you’ve seen him before but he’s always worth another visit. Michelangelo’s David is housed in the Galleria dell’Accademia along with the violently twisting beauty of Giambologna’s ‘The Rape of the Sabine Women’ – also well worth spending some time over when you can tear yourself away from David.

As luck would have it we were there on Women’s Day but early enough before the planned afternoon strike.  Even luckier, all women were admitted for free that day. Happy Women’s Day to us!

Go look at the Duomo

Yes, you probably took the tour when you also visited the Uffizi but no harm in having another look.

Hang out by the Arno with someone (or two someones) special

Find a riverside café and watch the water roll by. La dolce vida indeed!

Feed the blogger: Any other ways to enjoy Florence?  One can never go there too often! Comment welcome.