From Genoa, we took the train to Florence. My companion had studied there for a year and we were able to stay with a friend of hers. Florence is an artist's haven. As you walk along the streets, there are little workshops tucked in everywhere. Many of them are refurbishing furniture or paintings, some are creating new items. We stopped into a glorious fabric store called
Casa dei Tessuti which opened in 1929. The owner was sitting and reading from his book of poetry when we walked in. He invited us to sit. Several hours later we stumbled out with packages of the most incredible fabrics.
A main focus for us, as for all tourists in Italy was the food. And by that I really mean that we ate gelato everyday, had apperitivi regularly and tried to get in as much good pasta and pizza as possible. It was a diet of bread, cheese, ice cream and coffee for the most part. Walking a good 5-6 hours a day made it seem less gluttonous somehow.
One of the walks we took was to a church high above the city. We came across a public garden and some funny art installations. Florence is famous for the Ponte Vecchio, but really all of the bridges can be lovely to look at.
