meraviglia {wonder}
- Shoo
- Apr 25, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: May 6, 2019
“Happiness hit her
Like a train on a track
Coming towards her
Stuck still
No turning back”
- Florence + the Machine, “Dog Days are Over”

Last week, I arrived in Florence (or Firenze, in Italian). The city was a flurry of tourists, students, families, couples, dogwalkers, photographers, fruit sellers . . . People were everywhere.
Florence was filled to the brim.
It was a dramatic shift from the quiet, hum-drum pace of Urbino. But I was very excited to be there.
On my first full day in the city, I rented a bike and explored the streets on a set of wheels. Travelling beside the river and along designated bike lanes was a breeze, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend taking a bike through the center of town. The crowds not only make the journey slow, but dangerous as well. Pedestrians, in a city like this, tend to meander as they please, so drivers and bicyclists should exercise caution.
Despite the inherent perils, I really enjoyed taking a bike around Florence. There are miles of pathways around the city, and it’s a great way to see landmarks quickly. Being on a bike also feels very Italian. There’s nothing quite like bumping down an ancient cobbled street on a bicycle, the smell of fresh pane and gelato in the air.

On the second day in Florence, I went to visit David.
The statue of David.
I don’t know anyone personally named David.
To see this famous piece, I went online a week before my trip and purchased a ticket to the Accademia Galleria, where the statue is housed. Since this museum is so ridiculously popular, the line to enter stretched around the block. Luckily, I already had my ticket – so, I could cut the line with ease.
Of course, seeing David – the real David, not just a picture or a replica – was amazing. I rounded a corner in the museum and there he was! Standing 16 feet tall and completely nude.

Side note: Italy has a vast collection of nude statues. To celebrate this, I’ve started taking pictures of myself with various marble “tooshes.” It all started in Bologna when I found a statue of Neptune and snapped a selfie with his bare butt.
So, naturally, I had to get a picture of myself with David’s choice toosh.
Perhaps someday I’ll have a complete collection of the tooshes of Europe.
That’s the dream.
On my third day, I went to the Boboli Gardens. Located across the Arno river, this expansive green space is an absolute wonder. I packed a light lunch, my sketch pad, and some sunscreen – and then I spent the whole afternoon wandering the endless winding pathways. While walking, I listened to classical music, and I felt as though I had entered Wonderland. The Garden is fenced-off from the city, and it has an impenetrable wall of trees, shrubs, and other lush plants that separate it completely from everything else. It didn’t even feel like part of Earth.
Various statues and art installations freckle the Garden. Each pathway leads visitors to different treasures. The most notable of these treasures – in my humble opinion -- is the Isolotto.

Surrounded by a moat of water, the Isolotto contains a lush orchard of orange and lemon trees, and it features a bronzed statue in the center. It’s very Eden-esque, and perhaps that’s the point. Visitors are not allowed on the island – the two bridgeways are fenced off – so, you can only look and admire from afar.
I felt a little dazed after leaving the Boboli Garden. It took me a long walk through the city and a bit of gelato to snap me back into normal life.

You know that feeling when you’ve just spent an hour reading a good book, and then you return to the real world, but the essence of the book still surrounds you? The feeling of the story is so potent that it takes an hour-or-so before you can completely shake it off?
That’s what visiting the Boboli Garden was like – the experience stayed with me for the rest of the day, and it was several hours before I climbed back through the rabbit hole and out of Wonderland. It was an amazing experience, and I recommend it to anyone planning to visit Florence.
On my fourth day in Florence, I went for a very long walk along the Arno river. Originally, I planned to spend maybe two or three hours outside – but, given that the Arno is a very long river and it was a beautiful day, my walk lasted for closer to four-and-a-half hours. I stopped for gelato at one point because my stomach was rumbling, and this helped to sustain me for the rest of the long adventure.
There is a very pleasant park to the west of the city called Parco delle Cascine. It features miles of greenspace and extensive walking trails through the foliage. It’s right along the river, so if you go on a longer-than-expected hike (like me) the park is a nice place to rest and relax.
On the fifth day, I had the pleasure of celebrating Easter (or Pasqua in Italian) with my grandparents. They are avid adventurers, and they’ve been to countless countries around the world. Luckily for me, they happened to be in Florence at the same time that I planned to be.
On Easter morning, I joined them at their Airbnb for breakfast, and then the three of us ventured out to see lo Scoppio del Carro (the Cart Explosion). This Easter tradition started over 350 years ago, and it involves a three-story wooden cart that shoots off fireworks. If you’re curious about this unique Easter celebration, this website does a marvelous job of explaining what happens and why the city celebrates this way.

It was a little difficult to see anything because of the massive crowd in front of the Duomo. My grandparents and I arrived an hour before the ceremony, and we could barely make out what was happening. Nevertheless, it was exciting to be there and to celebrate Easter with the people of Florence.
I got a little lucky because, on my way to my grandparent’s place for breakfast earlier that morning, I saw the cart as it made its way to the Duomo. I was able to snag a few up-close pictures as the procession rolled along. The cart is pulled by a squad of white oxen with flower crowns on their heads, and the whole thing has an air of absurdity to it. However, it’s absolutely stunning to see, and I was very grateful to catch the cart before it arrived at the Duomo.
After lo Scoppio del Carro, my grandparents and I visited the Uffizi Gallery. This famous museum houses works by Leonardo di Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo, and countless other artistic masters. I also found the ceilings to be quite spectacular, so don’t forget to look up if you have an opportunity to visit.

Beside the long line to get in, and the crowds of people inside the museum, I really enjoyed visiting the Uffizi Gallery. It’s one thing to see a picture of The Birth of Venus in a textbook, but it’s a completely different experience to see it in person. It’s like seeing a famous person walk down the street – you’ve seen this person in movies or on television, and then there they are. In a normal setting, right in front of you.
I am very grateful for the experiences that I’ve had in Florence. The city seems to radiate a sense of wonder. Everything about it – from the architecture, to the history, to the plethora of gelato shops – feels too fantastic to be real.
I really enjoyed my stay in Florence, and I hope to return again someday – if only to snag another toosh-picture with David.
After Florence, I leave for Bologna, and then I’m going to Ravenna for a few days. By the end of this week, I’ll be back in Urbino, ready to study for exams and wrap up the semester. In two months, I’ll be in Arizona again, and then who knows where I’ll go after that . . .
Just another thing to wonder about.
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