At the beginning of July, we made a trip to Florence (or Firenze, in Italian). We stayed in a magnificent palace (owned by the Marchess of Camugliano) for what I think a reasonable price (300€ a night, which is not too much for a sumptuous suite). The service there was impeccable and all food came directly from the farms on the estates of the marchess.
This aside, the town of Florence is well worth a visit. We arrived around noon, so still had an afternoon to go exploring. Our first walk (the palace was right in the town center) we already came across the magnificent Duomo.
Later that afternoon, we went to visit the Gallerio dell'Academia, where you can see the magnificent statue of Michealangelo's David.
On our second day, we walked to the Ponte Vecchio, which is one of the landmarks of Florence. Pretty crowded, you need to be aware of pickpockets there. People who were also staying in our hotel had their i-phone and wallet stolen there. I always wear inexpensive jewelry when abroad and keep my purse close to my body, with my hand on the zipper.
From the Ponte Vecchio, we continued via the Uffizi to the Palazzo Vecchio, where we visited the state rooms and later the Boboli gardens.
The following day we did a day trip which brought us to San Gimignano and Siena. Tuscany is a beautiful area to explore. From Florence it is not far to other places, like the ones mentioned. San Gimignano is purely medieval and (for the lovers) also has a museum of torture.
And Siena is famous for the horse racing, which takes place in the center of town.
And of course, a visit to Pisa could not be missed. Pisa equally is not too far from Florence, and can be reached by train if you like. Wanted to see the leaning tower with my own eyes!
For me, July is a good month to travel to Italy. Nicely warm (I love temperatures around 30°Celsius!) and dry. Wonderful to sip an Aperol Spritz after a long walk, and enjoy a leasurely dinner at some fine Italian restaurant. Life can be good!
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