There is something about Firenze that makes you feel like you stepped into your home and back in time. The city is rich with architectural beauty that sings a song of another era and welcomes you. 

 

Simply put, I love Florence.

 

The pace of the city matches my own and it never ceases to impress me. This trip, I have revisited some sites (David, The Birth of Venus), new sites (Boboli Gardens, Pitti Palace), and even found new appreciation for works I had overlooked before. 

Boboli Gardens was a wonderful little break into some greenery and provided a nice view of the Duomo from the other side of the Arno River. 

 

In the Uffizi Galleria, Botticelli’s Primavera, though I had seen it before, affected me more than I had planned. I found it more appealing than The Birth of Venus and in 2016 it was the opposite. I wonder what that says about me.

 

And, of course, I have enjoyed a lot of gelato so far in Italy and Florence is no exception. Eduardo’s offers both red and white wine flavors, which interested me, but I tried a dark chocolate and found my new favorite flavor choice for half of my cono. At La Strega Nocciolo, I paired dark chocolate with cheesecake and it was amazing. 

 

There is no end to the good things I could say about Florence

 

Florence still has my heart.