Firenze (Florence)

Firenze, Firenze, Firenze ...

Ah, yes, Florence. It was an interesting two days to say the least at this stay! It was our last visit of Italy before heading home. We had a bit of trouble getting to our Airbnb place.

In Rome, we were blessed enough to get a ride to the train station, so to get there it went pretty smoothly. The day started out good. We were up and ready, early, and eager to get to Florence.

Although, once we got there, we had an misunderstanding with the people who were letting us stay at their apartment (via Airbnb). We had to buy bus tickets and the place was 45 minutes away (not like the 15 minutes away from Florence as stated on their website...). So there was that frustrating part, so it took a while to get there.

Once we arrived, the bus stop was not far away from the place at all, thank God. But once we got inside, they told us there was no doorknob. So there was that. The people that stayed before us broke it and didn't even bother to fix it. We felt horrible, but... our safety was a huge concern.

They told us our rooms locked, and that Impruneta (the town we were staying at) was completely safe and we shouldn't be worried. Well, we were worried. But nothing happened. We locked our things in the rooms, and nothing happened to us. They tried their best to fix the doorknob before we left, but it didn't happen.

Don't get me wrong, the couple was extremely nice and super helpful, but the circumstances just kind of stunk. 

Once we settled, we told ourselves we didn't have enough time to explore Florence that night since the last bus left Florence at 8 pm. That was so early. So we stayed in and went the next day.

We found that one day to explore Florence was enough for all of us. We saw a huge cathedral, which I can't remember the name for the life of me, and we got to visit Michelangelo's David statue. That was magnificent!

Cathedral

Michelangelo's David statue!

Also, we bought our last cones of gelato, which made me super sad. I will miss the gelato the most from Italy!

The rest of the day in Florence, we shopped and bought gifts. And then we went to the Hard Rock Cafe, and then left back to Impruenta. The only thing good about staying that far away was being able to see the countryside of Florence! It's breathtaking, and the pictures don't do it justice!

Countryside of Florence

My view in the apartment we stayed at.

Leaving Italy

I will admit, my heart broke a little when we left. But I was also excited to get back home. I was homesick, admittedly, for most of my trip in Italy. Phone calls and photos made it bearable. But I made it.

All our crazy adventures opened my eyes and made me more aware that there's so much more to life than Nebraska. I knew that, and I know that, but experiencing it brings the realization to a whole new level.

There was so many things that I will take with me from Italy that I know I wouldn't have learned anywhere else.

My beloved gelato! :(

Italy was so welcoming and wonderful that I wonder if other foreign people feel the same way about America. There's so many differences between the two countries that it surprised me.

Something I learned that shocked me was that water costs in restaurants! Usually you can get free water almost anywhere in the U.S. Whether it be from Burger King to some fancy restaurant, water is mostly free when it's tap water. But in Italy, water always costs and they don't serve tap water. It's always in these fancy bottles that you would guess would carry something alcoholic. 

The street signs are also different. In the U.S., the street signs are always visible around the streetlights or are in bright green squares. Well, in Italy, they were on cement blocks plastered against the walls of the buildings. Sometimes they are hard to find and a bit confusing (we managed!). Also, they do give kisses on both sides of the cheeks when saying hello or goodbye. Sometimes just one kiss. I didn't figure out when to do when yet.

Overall, even with the cultural differences, I would not have traded my experience in Italy for anything! It was a door of opportunity that God had granted me, and I was blessed enough to walk through it.

I know I did not come back the same. And for once, I feel like this change is a good thing.

My last day at the Duomo in Milan.

Grazie, Italia!!!