Day 1- Uffizi, Pitti Museum, Boboli Garden

Venice around town

Uffizi Museum

Piazza Pitti

Boboli Garden

Florence around town

We loved walking around in Florence! Piazza della Signoria is a main square with many beautiful sculptures right outside!

We took the train from Cinque Terre to Florence.

So many beautiful sculptures in Piazza dela Signoria.

Palazzo Vecchio is a landmark building with a nice museum inside.

A replica of the statue of David, also in Piazza della Signoria.

This tiny sandwich place makes the best sandwiches we've tasted so far in our world trip. I'Girone de Ghiotti, near the Duomo. The roast pork is amazing!

Ponte Vecchio, the most famous bridge in Florence, crossing the Arno River.

Interesting arches on the walkway towards Ponte Vecchio.

Ponte Vecchio is lined with jewelry shops.

Nice view of the Arno River from the bridge.

This popular bridge is always full of visitors.

We tried some Indian food south of the Arno River. It was ok, not the best.

Lots of street artists in Florence, including right outside Pitti Palace.

Amorino, a gelato chain, has become our favorite gelato store. The ice cream is tasty, the ice cream flowers are pretty, and the staff is very friendly.

We love the ice cream flowers.

Ponte alle Grazie, much more low-key than the frentic Ponte Vecchio.

Nice view of Ponte Vecchio from Ponte alle Grazie.

Bialetti, aka Moka stove-top coffee maker, uses steam expansion to brew a strong cup of coffee. It's so popular here, we're surprised we've never seen it in the U.S..

We played the Big-2 card games, and Ivan got straight flush! He insisted this was a Kodak moment.

Gelato shops (gelataria) are everywhere, but the Magnum ice cream shop is unique. Customized ice cream bars!

You can choose the bar flavor (vanilla or chocolage), the coating (3 types of chocolate - white, milk & dark), three toppings, and drizzle.

It was very tasty, but too rich for us.

Of all the cities in Europe we’ve visited so far, we enjoyed walking around Florence the most. The city is compact, the architecture is beautiful, and there are beautiful sculptures and monuments throughout. Be sure to walk through the famous Ponte Vecchio (bridge) over to the south side of the Arno River, as several of our favorite spots in Florence are on that side, including the Pitti Palace, Boboli Garden, Bardini Garden, etc.

Uffizi Museum

Uffizi is one of the most visited art museums in the world, housing premier Renaissance art.

Voyagers tips: You definitely don’t want to wait in the regular line; there are a few ways to skip the line: use the Florence 3-day pass, order timed tickets online, order timed tickets over the phone (during business hours), or purchase the Friends of the Uffizi (Amici degli Uffizi) pass. It costs a few euros extra to book in advance, but it’s well worth it to save an hour or two waiting in line. Some travelers recommend booking over the phone so you don’t have to pay anything until you pick up the tickets, and if there are no lines when you show up, just buy regular tickets and save the reservation fee. The Friends of the Uffizi pass is worth it if you plan to also visit Pitti Palace, Boboli Garden and Bardini Garden, all highly recommended.

Pitti palace & boboli garden

Outside of the Pitti Palace...and of course, the girls are climbing the wall.

The architecture is quite unique.

We visited the garden before the museum.

The main open area of the garden, next to the palace.

We don't know the official name of this piece, but we suspect it is titled "Jackass".

Impressive art both hung on the wall as well as on the building and ceilings themselves.

Can you spot three faces in this picture?

A nice view of the north side of Florence.

Boboli Garden is a great way to enjoy some greenery. Pitti Museum, inside Pitti Palace, also houses a great art collection, and isn’t nearly as crowded as the Uffizi or the Accademia. Boboli Garden is quite big and is the most popular garden in Florence.

Voyagers Tips: Boboli Garden entrance is through Pitti Palace, and tickets are purchased at the Pitti Palace ticket booth. Entrance for both are included in the Friends of the Uffizi membership, which allows you to skip the line.