My new bracelet

Check out my new bracelet made from old broken watch parts found at the Florence flea market. Neat, right?

How could I forget about a food post?

This is what I ate on the train, called "Vesuvius." Ham, brie, tomato and lettuce in between doughy vegetable-mixed focaccia.

On the train to Rome

4 hours can go by really fast on the train when you're enjoying the views, overhearing conversations, and reading Cosmo.

Shopping in Florence

It's my last morning in Florence so I did a little shopping before heading to Rome. I found the huge Mercato Centrale, a central market complete with produce, meat, and other culinary delights. I then found myself digging through treasures at Piazza di Ciompi flea market (I found some neat stuff, like the side-sliding guitar ashtray, a stunningly shiny silver bejeweled pendant, and parts of an old watch that I plan on attaching to that chain to make a wrap-around bracelet). My last stop was the Mercato di San Lorenzo, an open-air market full of leather goods, clothes, jewelry and souvenirs. I was able to pick up a new pair of aviators and 2 very Italianesque sweaters before heading to the Santa Maria Novella train station.

Every traveler's nightmare...almost

Oh boy. I was shopping this evening and stopped in a cute store to try on several sweater capes. I must've been so caught up in my favorite past time that about 20 minutes after I left, I realized that I had left my bag in the dressing room! I panicked hardcore after running a mental list of everything I had in the bag: cash, credit card, debit card, driver's license, iPod Touch and passport with green card! To make matters worse, the store was closing when I left it.
Recalling my high school track days (I wasn't very fast), I ran my little ass off back to the store. To my relief and delight, I spotted two sweet Italian women in the store trying to make phone calls on my iPod Touch. I frantically knocked on the window and they ran over with my bag explaining they were trying to reach me somehow. So sweet. And so lucky, I am! Close call.

Fiume Arno (Arno River)

There is so much beauty in Florence that I feel like I need another week to explore! Check out this night view of the Arno River. Apparently, the true, old Florence is on the other side of the bridge. That's where I want to explore my next visit!

Dinner at Uffizi

No pictures were allowed inside the Uffizi, one of the world's most famous museums. The rooms were filled with Renaissance art including Leonardo da Vinci's Annunciation, Michelangelo's Holy Family, and Sandro Botticelli's Birth of Venus. Similar to earlier, I booked a tour to skip the long lines.
After an exhausting 2 hour tour and overall confusion as to what all the art I saw was (I will have to study up on it later), I stopped for dinner -pizza and cappuccino- at the Uffizi terrace cafe that had gorgeous views of Palazzo Vecchio and the Ponte Vecchio (one of the only medieval bridges left standing by the retreating German army in 1944).

Statue of David

It was a crazy rainy morning in Florence but I still braved it to attend my scheduled tour of Galleria dell'Accademia. When I arrived, there was a line wrapped around the block! Good thing my mom advised me to book a tour; otherwise I would've been standing in that cold, wet line for at least an hour.
I am not an art enthusiast but as soon as our tour guide led us to David, I was immediately mesmerized. His presence is powerful and he is so beautifully lit, it's hard to take your eyes off of him. Although pictures aren't allowed (flash damages the marble), I still snuck a couple pics with the flash off. I mean, how many times do you get to see Michelangelo's David in person?!
Btw, his size is impressive alone, standing at 17 feet!

Our tour guide told us about a maniac that came into the museum in 1993 with a hammer. Apparently he had a love/hate relationship with the sculpture and wanted to destroy it. He struck and damaged one of David's toes and was then captured and sent to a mental institution. Talk about the crazies, huh?

I'm staying in a horse stable

So not exactly, but it used to be horse stable. I booked a room online from a place called My Friend's. It is technically a hostel but I think it's more like a guesthouse. Also being the only child that I am, I got the private room with private bath. I don't like sharing.
I reached My Friend's at around 6:30pm when it was already dark. I walked into a dark building where I rang a bell and was greeted by an old Italian woman who spoke no English. She led me to my room and gestured to something about a baby. I told her I didn't have any babies. Both of us were confused.
As you can see in my pictures, the room is extremely simple but has everything I need. I also found the blanket and sheets so cute and old school, it reminded me of my grandparents' bed.
After I returned from my excursions, a man greeted me at my door (more like scared me) and began speaking accented English with an blink-less stare. Getting over the initial scare, I realized he ran this guesthouse and couldn't greet me earlier because he had to take care of his baby. Ahhh, that's what the baby confusion was about. Hah. His name is Ivan but pronounced like Steven but no S. Very nice and helpful man.
Although this place is not fancy, I do feel like I'm staying at someone's house. It's an authentic experience :)

"Why yes, my husband and I are here together"

Per my mom's request, I am wearing a fake wedding ring during my travels alone in the next 10 days. Apparently, she read it on a blog and thinks it's a good way to keep away the pervs. I love you, mom!

Nice to meet you, Florence!

After a longer than expected trip, I made it to Florence. It is magnificent! I quickly grabbed a map and started wandering around, and by luck, reached the famous Duomo and a piazza with a lit up carousel! I still need to figure out the name of it.
I also had time to grab a pistachio gelato the size of my face and catch some live street art.

On the train to Florence. Great views of the countryside!

Food break

What a morning has been already. To be budget conscious I decided to take the long, scenic route to Florence which began with a bus to Padova, then a regional train to Firenze Rifredi, finally ending in Florence. At the Padova train station, I treated myself to this lovely thing called DOC, a combination of proscuitto, brie, and arugula, all deliciously pressed between buttery focaccia. 3.4 euros for something I can split into two meals? Not bad at all! I've also noticed that sparkling water costs less than non-sparkling water (what they call "natural" water).

Arrivederci, Vicenza!

I am off to my next destination of Florence!