Florence

When someone asks if you want to go to a wedding in Florence, there is no “hmmm…let me think about it.” Of course, the answer is yes! Unless you are a) Italian and b) the luckiest person in the world, my guess is that this chance doesn’t come up more than once in a lifetime. So when the opportunity recently came my way, I did not hesitate.

On top of a dreamy wedding, the best part of this trip was discovering layer upon layer of a mesmerizing city during the “very-off,” off winter month of early February. Having been to Florence twice before during the summer, we were very familiar with the heat and crowds that seem to be so common for this popular tourist destination. We had scooted in for a couple days twice before to cover the Uffizi, the Duomo, the Accademia, and Santa Croce, amongst other popular hot-spots and piazzas. Even with the heat, our young children were thrilled to climb the steps of the Duomo and I can still remember my 4-year-old daughter in a flowing skirt and crocs with a red-faced smile, simply delighted by Brunelleschi’s architectural marvel. Even so, for a very rare, third visit to a location, our Type-A-plan-everything personalities urged us to consider going elsewhere for a few days after the festivities.

I am so glad we resisted! Instead, we stayed put and explored Florence at a deeper level, which was much easier during this quieter time of year. We had grand expectations of sleeping in, reading our books in cafes, and sauntering around town with no agenda. And although we did some of that, the city of Firenze cannot help but suck you out into its picturesque alleyways to explore new museums, unchartered neighborhoods, and charming restaurants.

Here are a few highlights…