TRAVEL SERIES - FLORENCE, ITALY / CraftSpace

For my Italy trip, I visited Rome, Florence, Venice, Naples, Pisa, and Cinque Terre. Today's blog post highlights my three days in my favorite city, Florence, filled with delicious food, amazing wine, and breathtaking views.

Since Florence is known as the "cradle of the Renaissance," I made sure to check out all the amazing museums, architecture, food, and wine. To get to Florence, I took the high speed train from Rome, which lasted 1.5 hours. Lucky for me, my hotel was just a few blocks from the Florence S.M.N. Train Station.

– ACCOMMODATIONS –
As a loyal SPG member, I stayed at the Westin Excelsior and if you saw my instagram pictures or snaps, you saw how elegant and heavenly it is. The 'Category 6' hotel is located on the banks of the Arno River and within walking distance to everything. The view from the hip rooftop bar is not one to miss, so if you're in the area be sure to check it out. What I loved most about the hotel was the luxurious yet incredibly comfortable feel as well as the amazing view from my room (see pic below).

– SHOPPING AND SIGHTS –
Lucky for me, Westin Excelsior is right next to the luxury shopping district, Ponte Vecchio, and Uffizi. I received recommendations that shopping should be done in Florence because the stores are bigger, have more variety, and it's less crowded than the stores in Rome. I purchased my first Celine bag, nano luggage tote in souris, and I am absolutely in love and grateful for this memento to remind me of the great time I had in Florence.

Also lucky for me, all public museums are free during the first Sunday of the month, so I got to check out Uffizi (my favorite was Birth of Venus) and Accademia Gallery (my favorite was Michelangelo's David). Some other notable must sees include:
- Duomo and bell tower
- Palazzo Pitti
- Giardini Boboli

– EATS –
Florence is known for the bistecca fiorentina, a rare t-bone steak, and I ate this dish many times paired with a bottle of red wine and pasta. My favorite restaurant would have to be Trattoria Za Za, and I still dream of the tomato, garlic, and red pepper pasta. For a fancy dinner, I highly recommend Buca Mario. Other restaurants I loved were:
- Trattoria da Mario
- Trattoria Gobbi 13