Florence is full of tourists, but also full of great things to see. Unfortunately, we didn’t find a way to get reduced rate tickets for the museums in Florence, and they are quite expensive. There is a three day pass available for tourists, but that means you have to jam all your sightseeing into just three days, which defeats the purpose of nesting abroad. So the best thing to do is just to grit your teeth and pay the prices, but at least reserve your tickets on line. That’s especially important for the Uffizi and Galleria dell’Academia (home of the David.) The lines for both of them can easily be hours long, even on shoulder seasons. If you can’t get tickets for when you really want to go, the best way to still get in and avoid the lines is by hiring a guide. It will be even more expensive, but they will be able to bring you to the front of the line and get you right in. The rest of the museums we were able to get into pretty easily during shoulder season, although I shudder to think about the lines during the summer.
But don’t stress. Florence is brimming with palaces, gardens and other sights that most people never even are aware exist. Seriously. Wikipedia has 77 palaces in Florence on its website. Yup. 77. Within the city limits. While many of them are not open to the public, there’s still a good amount that are. We visited Villa Medicea Della Petraia and there was almost no one else there.
One of the most delightful things about Florence is the artist Clet Abraham’s street signs. He alters common signs into clever and humorous works of art, changing them up almost daily, and reposting them in their original positions in the streets. Keep your eyes open for them. He also has a small studio where you can get stickers and a book of his work.
We will always have a special place in our hearts for Sunday mornings in Florence. Once a week, the streets are quiet, the squares are peaceful and still, and it seemed as though the the beautiful Tuscan light shone just for us. We got up early and walked the cobbled streets, soaking it all in. And we always wound up at our Sunday morning spot, Hotel Lungarno. Although it was way out of our price range to stay a night, it was perfect for a quiet Sunday morning coffee on their terrace, with a fantastic view of the Ponte Vechio. By the time we left, the waiter was ready for us each Sunday morning. He even gave us extra cookies!
Fiesole and DaVinci’s launching site – Above Florence in the mountains is the lovely little town of Fiesole. It’s easy to get up there by bus #7 from Piazza St. Marco. The views are spectacular. But if you wander off back behind the city a bit, you’ll find signs for a walking trail – and it will take you to the launch site of DaVinci’s failed flying machine. There’s a small plaque where his poor volunteer jumped off the mountain to crash below, breaking a few bones, but surviving the fall.