We are planning our next summer trip to Europe. This will be our first trip back to Europe in almost seven years. We have been saving some money for this trip for a while, so we are finally able to do it now. I had to twist my wife's arm this time around though. She wanted to go back to Italy, and I kept telling her that we needed to go to a different region. And I think I won because we will be going to Central Europe to visit the cities of Prague, Vienna, and Budapest.
Ah... La bella Italia... a place like no other. My wife was in Florence, Naples, and Milan for work for several months between 2004 and 2005, which was an ideal time for me to visit. I was able to visit Florence, Venice and Rome, but I never made it to Naples or Milan. It was great though to finally see a country I had heard so much about.
So, I joined her in Florence, a city that is the birth place of the Renaissance. Florence is the place where artists like Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Donnatelo, Botticelli and many others produced some of the most well known works of art in history. It is quite amazing when you stop and think about it.
Florence is a magical place, even for someone who is not into arts or history. The architecture of the Il Duomo, which is the third largest cathedral in Europe, is breathtaking. It was built by Brunelleschi, a Florence architect who was the first one to build a dome structure with bricks. But there are many other churches in Florence, which are not only beautiful, but also have a deep historical relevance. The Basilica di Santa Croce, for example, not far from Il Duomo, is the burial place for Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, and many others.
Amongst the many museums in Florence, a must see is the Uffizi Museum, which features several paintings and sculptures from Renaissance painters. The word Uffizi means Office in Italian, and it was home to the offices of the Medici family, the ruling Florentine family at the time. The Medici family owned the banking business in Florence, and they commissioned several works of art.
We also visited a few other towns in Tuscany, and then made it to Rome and Venice. But I'll save that for another post. If you haven't been to Florence yet, please plan do it sometime in your lifetime. It is well worth a visit!
That looks pretty cool. Can I join you guys? Wow I will make a point to see one of those places in the near future. The video is just breathtaking. I am also a big travel head. Do you have any preference on travel agents or do you plan everything on your own?
ReplyDeleteHi Moses,
ReplyDeleteI don't use travel agents, I try to plan everything myself, which tends to be a lot of work, but it is also rewarding when you find just the right hotel at the right price, or the perfect connection. It is so much easier nowadays with the Internet. I always look at the Tripadvisor reviews for hotels. I think they are really helpful. I also try to book my tickets on a Tuesday or Wednesday because it is usually cheaper, particularly with domestic flights, it doesn't really make much of a difference on international flights. The day you leave does make a difference though, leaving on the weekends is obviously more expensive than leaving on a weekday.
I love Europe too. I have been a few times and I keep wanting to go back for more. The last time I was over there I met my husband in Munich, Germany and from Munich we travel by train to Salzburg, Austria. I loved both locations but have to say Salzburg was just a great little city that was full of history ranging from the birth place of Mozart, to historic events that took place during World War II, to the history of one of the greatest musicals of all time, The Sound of Music. We don't use travel agents when we travel either but we love doing our research through Rick Steves Europe and Fodors.com.
ReplyDeleteSalzburg sounds wonderful! I wish we had more time on this upcoming trip to go there. We'll be in Vienna for 3 days. Some of my relatives are going to Salzburg in September.
DeleteI'd like to come, too! Unfortunately, when I think of Florence, the crazy cast of Jersey Shore comes to mind. I forgot about its gorgeous structures, historic museums, and lovely music. The food looks delicious and the walking looks time consuming. I didn’t know Florence was known for leather purses! My kind of place!
ReplyDelete