The third stop on our big Italian vacation with Dan’s Uncle and Aunt in September 2024 was Firenze (or, Florence)! Dan’s Aunt was an art teacher, so this was her destination selection and definitely her city! We have been to Florence twice before this trip and quite frankly, its not our favorite Italian city. (I know, molto unpopular opinion). In any case, there is a ton to do in Florence, and it is truly a gorgeous city. We squeezed as much as possible into 3 days, one of which consisted entirely of a wine tour through Tuscany. This post explores our trip and provides information to recreate it.
Ponte Vecchio in Florence.
DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN FLORENCE, THE REAL DAVID AND A FOOD TOUR!
We arrived in Florence via a 1.5 hour train from Lucca. And, it was POURING rain. POURING. We called an Uber van from Florence’s Santa Maria Novella train station to our hotel, Palazzo Ridolfi. And we got lucky with the Uber, they are not frequent or easy to get in Florence. Palazzo Ridolfi is located in an old palazzo in the Oltrarno neighborhood, which is the neighborhood across the River Arno from Florence’s tourist center.
