Next up was the capital of Italia’s Toscana region, Firenze. The city’s claim to fame is of course the iconic statue of David, although there is far more beauty than that which is contained within the walls of a few art galleries.
The bustle of Mercato San Lorenzo is addictive. Street performers pander to tourists, and throngs of vendors peddle their leather wares outside. Inside the Mercato lives true authenticity, the building filled to the brim with salumerie, fish shops, and local farmers selling their crops to hungry locals and tourists alike.
A short walk away was the famed bridge Ponte Vecchio which is bursting at the seams with jewellery shops. I don’t know who decided that the best place to house a couple hundred thousand worth of jewellery was a shack built over the side of a bridge. But someone did, and then two dozen other shops followed suit. Surrounded by tourists taking backlit selfies over the small section of remaining railing, we made our way across and found a local restaurant to grab a bite before touring the city by moonlight.
At night Florence was quieter than I expected, likely due in part to the rain clouds overhead.
And like that, our time in this beautiful city was done, off to the next one in the morning.
Share this story
Amazing photos Dave.