Greetings everyone! Now, based on the pictures you’re all seeing and the mysterious conclusion to my last post, your instincts may already be pointing you towards the fact that I may no longer be in Paris. Well, dear reader, you would be quite correct! I am now in the wonderful city of Florence, Italy! Visiting Italy has always been a dream for me, so I’m going to make the most of it while I’m here!
I arrived on the 13th, after a 9 hour train ride that forced me to get up at 4am. Arriving in Florence in the late afternoon, I was met with the beautiful and awe-inspiring scene of grey skies and torrential downpour. A wonderful start! Despite my sarcasm, I quite enjoyed the train ride. This was my second time on a train, and the feeling of seeing the landscape fly by and slowly change was still a fresh and fun experience. I even recognized some places I passed by! After walking through the rain to my hostel, I promptly unpacked my things and fell asleep. So ended my first day in Florence.
Ok, but let’s be real: that wasn’t really my first day. Monday was the true start of my time in Florence. My original plan was to visit the Galleria dell’Accademia, where Michaelangelo’s David is located, but it was unfortunately closed. Instead, I ended up going to the Hospital of the Innocents. This old hospital/orphanage turned museum had some really interesting things despite its relatively concealed state (there were not very many visitors there). Of particular note was a reliquary stashed deep inside cells of the hospital that contained an entire human skeleton. It was my first time seeing such a display, so it really stood out to me. There was also a church right next to the hospital, which was extremely gorgeous. The amount of detail on the walls puts even the cathedrals of Paris to shame.
Afterwards, I went to the Leonardo Da Vinci museum. This was a smaller museum dedicated to, you guessed it, Leonardo Da Vinci and his many inventions. This ended up being one of my favorite visits, since up to this point most of the things I had seen were art such as sculptures, paintings, etc. Da Vinci’s inventions offered a different kind of beauty that I was not yet familiar with. I also found it so interesting how many of his inventions were almost very early prototypes of modern inventions. For example, he created a moving, armored vehicle armed with cannons very similar to a tank, yet still not quite a full tank. The museum also had sections that allowed you to interact with some of his inventions (recreations, of course). My favorite one was a gym machine composed of handles and pulleys.
Despite the ongoing weather conditions, my first day in Florence was a blast! The city is so vibrant and full of life! As always, there will be plenty more on my trip to come, so be prepared! Until next time!
