Florence - Part One {Italy 2017}

We spent our last morning in Venice wandering the streets and watching the garbage men pick up the big bins of trash and roll them down the alleyways to the canal. I never thought about how they would dispose of garbage in a place like Venice but they have garbage boats that pick up the smaller bins the garbage men collect and empty them into the boat. Of course this was Topher's favorite thing we saw in Venice. He really pitched a fit when we had to leave the garbage boat and pack up our things to head to Florence.

This is probably a good time to highlight the benefits of packing very light and in backpacks. We were able to make our way all through the city, up and down many sets of steps over the canal bridges and tons of cobblestone with no issues. We saw so many people pulling luggage with broken wheels and struggling with all their stuff and we just breezed on by. Don't get me wrong, it was still hot as Hades and a lot of work to get to the train station but it was so much better than it could have been. Topher just enjoyed his ride in the stroller :)

Our train ride to Florence was fun and relatively uneventful. Christopher had a good time watching the countryside go by and playing with his cars. By the time we got to Florence we were all starving, tired and short on patience though. We tried to eat dinner at the hotel but it their kitchen wasn't open until 7:30 and we were all going to die before that. We found the one place in walking distance that was open earlier and ate a giant pile of food before totally crashing at the hotel.

Topher practices his Italian and sleeps hard core on the cushy hotel bed.

First thing the next morning we headed to the Piazza del Duomo. The cathedral was so much bigger than I expected and exceptionally detailed. Of course Topher liked the small puddles in the cobblestone much more than the building.

Thomas bought tickets to climb the steps to the top of the Brunelleschi's Dome and I am not sure that any of us really knew what exactly that entailed. We climbed and climbed and climbed and then when we thought we were almost there we climbed some more. We finally emerged at the base of the dome on the inside of the cathedral and it was beautiful! We were able to walk halfway around the dome admiring the ceiling.

I assumed we would then climb down all those stairs and go on our way. We were already sweating to death, legs burning and Topher squirming. Then we realized we would be climbing to the very TOP of the dome and we had so many more stairs to go! They got narrower and narrower and steeper as we went up, up, up. I let Topher out of the carrier to climb some on his own because my legs were about to totally give up.

 

Finally, after 463 steps we emerged at the top of the dome and all those steps were worth it (I think).

 

 

Christopher found the cutest little French friend and they bonded over their mutual love of cars. The two of them drove all over the top of the dome and it was adorable. Sometimes boys just need to get down in the dirt and play even when they're on vacation.

Our first stop after climbing down all 463 steps was the nearest place to get gelato. Topher had his usual lemon and I got a giant rocher while Thomas had a granita. We mostly just wanted to sit and let our legs stop shaking.

Look at his little crossed fingers! I love when he does that!

Sitting on the sidewalk eating our treats we looked up and realized just how far we'd climbed. If I knew how far up it was I might not have done it- ha!

 

More puddles!

The Tree of Life

We continued to wander through the city on our way back to the hotel and stumbled upon a little courtyard with The Tree of Life! Florence is like that- everywhere you wander you will find something interesting or unique and always beautiful. I think we had lunch at a Chinese restaurant this day while Christopher practiced his art skills.

After naps- which, by the way, are the best thing ever on vacation- we headed out on the bus to Pitti Palace. We ended up not being able to find the entrance to the grounds but we enjoyed the courtyard and chasing pigeons for a while.

Again, we wandered along the river to just see what there was to see. We stopped at a book store and we had to buy a small toy cow and a horse so we could leave there without Christopher totally freaking out. He was having a bit of a hard time after being dragged around all day.

We ended up at Ponte Vecchio along with every other person in Florence it seemed. The sunset from there was unbeatable and you could feel the magic of the city creep in as night fell.

When he wants to sit an play he doesn't really care what everyone else is doing.

After dinner at a hidden cafe around the corner from the Uffizzi Gallery, we decided to walk until we were too tired and then catch the nearest bus back to the hotel.  I love almost any city at night, the dark along with twinkling lights makes everything feel so much more cozy but Florence was extra special in this regard. We stumbled upon the most magical carousel in Piazza della Repubblica and couldn't pass up the chance to ride.

I gave Christopher two Euros and he paid the attendant to get aboard his horse. He laughed and giggled the entire time and I had to peel him off that horse when the ride was over. I love that he loves carousels as much as I do.

This day in Florence made me fall so in love! It was my favorite city we visited and I really want to go back and find more of it's hidden treasures someday.

Venice {Italy 2017}

When we began planning our trip to Italy I knew Venice was a place we would have to go. I feel like Venice gets a bad wrap for being super touristy but I really don't care about that. I wanted to see it anyway, I have always wanted to see it. So, touristy or not it went on the itinerary. I have to say, it totally blew my mind- such an amazing city and totally worth fighting the crowds in the tiny alley-like walkways all over the city. Spoiler alert: I loved it!

By the time we arrived in the actual city of Venice we'd been traveling for many more hours than I'd like to count. Our layover had been extended in Zurich and the water bus from the airport into the city seemed to take forever. Luckily Topher was awesome during the whole trip and kept his cool much better than I did. We were met at the water bus stop by a gal who showed us to our AirBnb which was down a twisty turney alleyway and up three flights of very narrow stairs. It wasn't super luxurious but it was a place to sleep and spread out so we didn't mind. 

After a long nap we ventured out into the city and as twilight began to fade in. It was some kind of magic! We just strolled aimlessly and made our way over the Rialto Bridge and enjoyed the smell of Venice- pasta and garlic and a little dirty water. We stopped for dinner at a pasta to go place a friend of mine had recommended. We walked some more and ate our pasta pomodoro and spaghetti bolognese out of paper cartons on a small bridge overlooking one of the canals. Every so often a small boat with a local or two would pass by. It made me wonder what it would be like to really live in a city like that. 

Topher takes a sink bath after crawling all over everything in the city!

The next morning was our only full day in Venice and the first stop was St. Mark's Basicilla. How they ever managed to build something that grand in the middle of the water is beyond my comprehension. We had tickets to go all the way up to the top and look out over St. Mark's Square. The view was pretty amazing and the horse statues up there definitely drew Chritsopher's attention.

Along with the tickets to the Basillica we got tickets to go to the top of the clock tower, the tallest point in Venice. The views from there were unbelievable! It looked like a totally differnt world up there. When you are on the ground you are surrounded on all sides with at least four story buildings and it feels like a maze. You are constantly going over bridges and walking along canals but from the top of the tower you can't see any of those paths and it looks like one solid island. 

Christopher was too busy looking at this gold circle on the floor to notice the views. Because of course he was.

After more wandering around the city we found a place to eat and Topher experienced his first Italian breadsticks! He learned a lot of things on this trip and one of them was to drink from the small water glasses they had at every restaurant we went to. I was worried at first but he did so well with them and didn't break a single dish the whole trip!

The afternoon brought naps for all of us followed by our first round of gelato. Now, Topher won't eat ice cream at all. Like, won't even let it near his mouth. For some reason gelato was a whole different story. We almost always got him lemon flavor- because it's white and won't stain clothes- and he loved it! He would gobble down a whole cup of it in no time flat!

So let's talk about one of the reasons I have always wanted to go to Venice- gondola rides! I don't know if it's just hollywood hype about them or what but they just seem so dreamy to me! I knew it would be an expensive experience but it was one of the only things I felt like I HAD to do in Italy. I mean, come on!

Christopher was constantly leaning over the edge trying to touch the water but we managed to keep him in the boat. Our gondolier was kind of a funny guy. He knew all of the other gondoliers and they would all chat to each other as we passed. It was another moment when I wondered what it would be like to actually be a local in a city like that.

This is probably my favorite picture- all the gondolas lined up about to turn into the Grand Canal! Just a bit of a surreal moment for me for sure!

We went for dinner at a canal-side restaurant and surprisingly we were all still awake. I don't think jet lag really hit us till a few days later. There was so much to sit and marvel at as we ate our dinner- the water, the architecture, our trooper of a child who was happily eating his dinner. It was a perfect evening.

Okay, so Christopher didn't totally make it through dinner. But this is traveling with a toddler, sometimes you have to give it a good cry!

Our last stop of the day was where we began- St. Mark's Square at night. Bands were playing at all the cafes and crowds were gently milling around in the warm air. Venice was everything I imagined it to be and such a dream come true!