After visiting Venice, we took the train down to Florence. We planned the bulk of our trip to be here to have a mix of relaxation at a resort just outside of town, and sightseeing in the city. The city and surrounding area was so pretty, and I have too many good photos to share!
TRANSPORTATION:
Florence is very walkable, and that is recommended over driving. However, we wanted a rental car to potentially do side trip(s), and to come and go into the city freely. Well, you can tell this is not going to end well. Not only are many roads full of pedestrians, there are ZTL (Zona Traffico Limitato), and apparently non-residents will get ticketed by camera. We made that mistake after a translation fail with the car rental employee and are anxiously awaiting some fines in the mail. There were, however, free parking spots just outside the zone, so if you are diligent about reading signs, you should be fine. Our hotel also offered a shuttle to the city center, but we figured with the car seat, driving ourselves was easier.
WHERE TO EAT:
Sgrano: I may sound like a broken record, but Italy had the BEST gluten free options I have ever found. How do we get Sgrano to come to D.C.?? I mean, an all gluten-free restaurant with a panini sampler!? We didn’t even get to their pizza, but the sandwich board was out of this world and lasted us more than a day with leftovers.
Base V Juicery: Come here for smoothies, gluten free avocado “toast”, energy balls, and other healthy goodies.
Floret: Almost impossible to find, but worth the hunt. Floret is a secret garden restaurant located on the top floor of a retail clothing store with no signage. I had the best gluten free avocado toast (with grilled halloumi on top) of all time here, along with dessert. Such a treat!
Shake Cafe: There are multiple locations across the city, with healthy bowls and salads, plus smoothies and coffee. We found one with a lovely interior courtyard to cool off and take a break from walking.
Libreria Brac: This vegetarian restaurant/bookshop is hidden off the main drag. They have a glass greenhouse for seating, along with a beautiful courtyard. It was dangerously quiet inside for a toddler, but the staff was incredible and LOVED Quinn. The hostess swept him up and brought him to meet all the staff and take pictures with the chef.
With more time, we would have gone to Ciro and Sons for gluten free pizza, Quinoa for more vegetarian options, and Ditta Artigianale for coffee.
WHAT TO DO:
Uffizi Gallery: This museum has works from Botticelli, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, and more. It was well worth a visit, but get there early to avoid the crowds by the most famous artists works. We bought tickets ahead of time online, which guaranteed entrance and skipped the line.
Accademia: A must-see for Michelangelo’s David statue, amongst other famous pieces. I may be in the minority and say the rest of the museum was not my favorite, but worth going just for David.
Ponte Vecchio is the oldest and most famous bridge in Florence. It is thought to be from the Roman times (and rebuilt many times since). Previously, the bridge housed stalls for butchers, farmers, and other services for residents. Now, these little storefronts are home to souvenir and jewelry shops.
Duomo, the Cathedral of Florence: The line was super long and in the blazing sun on the first day we were there. So instead of frying in the August sun for hours, we opted to buy a ticket to a guided tour. After many years of sightseeing without a guide, I’m sold. I got so much more out of the experience, learning about the Medici family and the history of Florence, not to mention skipping the line. There are tours of the cathedral, and there is a separate ticket to go into the dome. My limited research showed the climb up the dome is steep and narrow, which wouldn’t work with a heavy, wiggly toddler and no stroller.
Santa Maria Novella: Pop into this really cool perfume shop for scented soaps, reed diffusers, and perfume. It is one of the oldest pharmacies/cosmetic shops in the world, and smells amazing!
The carousel: Maybe not a MUST see, but Quinn enjoyed this pit stop. The carousel is run by the fourth and fifth generation Picci family still. Pretty cool!
Piazzale Michelangelo: This scenic overlook is set above the banks of the Arno opposite the city center. It was built in 1869 and has a replica of the David statue, keeping an eye on the city from above. We took a wrong turn and drove by it earlier in our trip (windy one-way streets on a steep hill, not a good time getting lost in the dark), and made a point to come back for sunset another evening.
Dreoni Toystore: Another hard-to-find store, but glad we did. This store had everything you can imagine, plus more for kids. Quinn got a Pinocchio puppet, as I learned the author of the original Pinocchio was from Florence. Now Quinn has a way to “remember” his trip!
Palazzo Strozzi: They have rotating exhibits in the courtyard, but sadly were on hiatus when we were there.
Tuscany: We had reservations to go to a winery tasting in Tuscany, but they canceled last minute. Shockingly, a Google targeted ad saved the day. We went to Semboloni Winery, which I highly recommend. The winery makes organic wine and olive oil, plus serves excellent charcuterie plates to pair. We did the tasting outside, where there was a light breeze, shaded by trees, and with room for Quinn to explore and use his outdoor voice. There were a number of other families on the patio, so we didn’t feel obnoxious. They offered free shipping on a case, so we mixed olive oils and some wine to send back home.
With more time, we would have gone to Siena as well.
WHERE TO STAY:
Villa La Massa, a short 15 minute drive from Florence city center, is situated overlooking the Arno River. Now, we normally would not splurge on this type of hotel, but we had Amex points burning a hole in our pocket. When we booked, the hotel has recently been remodeled and I think they were building reviews of the newly updated space, making it lower points. Plus, it came with a $100 spa credit. Sign me up!
Our travel plans never go exactly as expected, and this trip would be no different (see Venice recap for the first few hiccups). We arrived mid afternoon from Venice, only to find out the power and water were out in the town, including the resort. They asked if we still wanted to stay there (like we had another option lined up??), and then upgraded us to an amazing suite since other guests left due to the outage. The power came back on a few hours later, but they let us stay in the suite. Well worth a minor inconvenience in my opinion! A big breakfast spread was included, and we got our money’s worth daily. After exploring the city during the day, we came back to enjoy mid-afternoon pool lounging, alternating during Quinn’s nap. The property had multiple dining options, a walking trail, a small playground, and beautiful gardens. Steve enjoyed the gym and I appreciated the sunset views on the trail.
TIPS:
Kids and travel. This could be a novel and a problem as old as time, and I’m certainly no expert. But after maybe 20 flights with Quinn, I’ve learned a few things. Most importantly, don’t let fear prevent you from traveling. There’s a whole world out there to explore and it’s really special seeing your kid experience other cultures, food, history, and so much more. While we may still be recovering from the terrible flight home, I don’t regret for one minute taking a trip with Quinn to share our love for travel.
Direct flights whenever possible! Quinn is mad we didn’t follow this advice this time. If you must have a layover, explore the lounge and look for a kids area. It might not be much, but it’s a space to drop your bags and crawl around (see germ comment below).
Bring all the snacks. More than you think you need, because you don’t want to be out when a meltdown happens. Food taking too long at a restaurant? Whining for no apparent reason? Want something to put into the snack cup and remove repeatedly? Snacks solve many problems.
New toys/things that you won’t be sad about when they get lost between the seats or on the floor. Maybe also check to see how noisy they are first, because Quinn of course loved the obnoxiously loud toy the most.
Embrace help! We were seated near an older woman on a return flight who was eager to entertain Quinn. She traveled extensively with her kids when they were little, and had some tricks up her sleeve.
Bring the small stroller. I don’t think kids really appreciate the comfort of their”fancy” stroller, and you will be glad to not haul that thing around up and down stairs when elevators aren’t available, etc.
Probably mentioned in a past post, but worth mentioning again: pack a wet bag with diaper supplies rather than the whole diaper bag since you won’t fit in the bathroom. Extra change of clothes for both of you, just in case.
Let go of concerns over germs. Use the sanitizing wipes the flight attendants pass out on high-touch surfaces, but realize everything will be touched and then fingers will go in the mouth. It’s impossible to prevent. Also, when you have a screaming child, you’ll let them do just about anything if it will mean they stop crying!
And that completes our August Italy adventure recapping. Check out our time in Venice here and stay tuned for a guide on Barcelona!
