We took a little break from our life in Panzano in Chianti, packed an overnight bag and caught the local bus to Florence.

Just an hour down the road, travelling alongside commuters and school children going about their everyday lives, and suddenly we were swapping our quiet Chianti village for one of Italy’s most famous cities.

We only had a couple of days.

These are some of the memories we brought home.

We checked into the Tornabuoni Suites Collection Residenza D’Epoca on Via de’ Tornabuoni, right in Florence’s fashionable shopping district.

The suite was comfortable, elegant and had one other rather notable feature.

This is the biggest front door we’d ever seen. Honey, who shrunk my partner?

Naturally, I had to stop when I spotted a dog walker with two Corgis outside the Prada store. Corgis and Prada – a perfect pairing, really.

Florence is a beautiful city famously known as the birthplace of Renaissance culture, art, architecture and monuments and an easy city to wander the streets and appreciate the history and art which is displayed everywhere.

Ponte Vecchio

Of course, we had to see the Ponte Vecchio. In fact, we ended up walking back and forth across it several times, weaving past the jewellery shops and crowds.

There have been shops on this bridge for centuries, although they haven’t always been quite as glamorous as they are today.

Butchers, fishmongers and tanners once plied their trades here, until the smell apparently became too much for Ferdinand I. In the late 1500s, he decreed that only goldsmiths and jewellers could occupy the bridge. A practical solution, really. No unpleasant smells when the Grand Duke crossed the bridge, just glittering jewels and considerably more pleasant surroundings.

And remarkably, the Ponte Vecchio was the only bridge across the Arno to survive World War II.

A big history for a bridge that has been standing, in one form or another, for centuries..

A wider view across the Arno River, which has flowed through the heart of Florence for centuries. Sometimes you just have to stop wandering and admire the view.

Statues at one end of the Ponte Santa Trinita.

Palazzo Vecchio

The Palazzo Vecchio overlooks the Piazza della Signoria, where Florence’s famous statues seem to appear around every corner. We stopped to admire the replica of Michelangelo’s David, but it was the extraordinary detail in the frescoes that really caught my attention.

The Florence Duomo

The Florence Duomo was an impressive sight, so enormous that trying to capture the whole thing with a small camera felt somewhat pointless. Instead, I focused on one small section of its extraordinary detail.

As for going inside? The queue snaked around at least three-quarters of the building.

That quickly squashed any ideas of seeing the interior.

Street Life (beyond the Landmarks)

We were perfectly placed to walk to many of Florence’s famous landmarks, but some of our most enjoyable moments came from wandering beyond them, discovering street art, small workshops and the people quietly creating beautiful things.

And then there was Aaron.

Aaron had been a Taekwondo instructor and academy owner before COVID changed his plans. He had been about to leave for a long-awaited trip to Japan when everything came to a halt in early 2020. Instead, he stayed to help his parents in their leather shop. His parents have since retired, and Aaron has found a new path as a passionate leatherworker and designer, now running the shop alongside his wife.

We loved hearing his story and seeing his work. He’s clearly a talented designer.

And yes… a handbag and matching belt were coming home with me.

Florence is a city of leather. And when you’re being fitted for a pair of beautifully soft lambskin gloves, it seems only polite to take them home.

And then there was Silvia.

We found her on the edge of the Ponte Vecchio, surrounded by her watercolours. Like so many small artists and artisans, COVID had interrupted her working life. She’d temporarily relocated out of the city during lockdowns, eventually returning to Florence and setting up her stall once again in the same spot where she’d worked for years.

Her paintings were beautiful. Choosing just one as a small memento of Florence proved impossible.

Fortunately, two small watercolours fitted perfectly into our luggage.

Street walking always has its surprises.

Away from the grand buildings and busy thoroughfares, we began spotting wonderful pieces of street art tucked into alleyways and hidden corners, suddenly bringing a burst of colour and life to an otherwise dingy wall or laneway.

I remember Florence fondly for these unexpected discoveries. You just had to wander far enough to find them.

The Food

Florence is certainly not short on good food.

We enjoyed an alfresco lunch on a busy thoroughfare, complete with passing horse and carriages which turned out to be rather more interactive than we’d anticipated. Let’s just say the horse had an unexpected call of nature at a particularly inappropriate moment.

The difference in our facial expressions tells the story.

Fortunately, the food was considerably more appealing. My seafood risotto was one of the nicest meals of the entire trip, while Jeff’s wild boar pasta lived up to his long-anticipated expectations.

The following day, we opted for an indoor dining experience. My lasagna was every bit as good as hoped, and Jeff’s lamb ragout was pretty outstanding too.

Sometimes, it’s best to leave the horse and carriage outside.

Florence has a way of revealing much more than its famous landmarks and centuries of history when you look closely. Here’s a few things that caught my eye while wandering the streets.

There’s always time for a coffee stop. Especially when it arrives in a cup this pretty.

We came across a collectables shop specialising in old wallpaper and all manner of curious things. And if you ever find yourself in need of a replacement arm for your doll, Florence has you covered. As for the jumper leads in the box alongside them… I’m still trying to work that one out.

A relief map of Italy kept Jeff occupied for quite some time. If only it had fitted in our luggage! He had visions of spending hours teaching the grandchildren all about Italy and its rugged terrain.

They’re safe. For now…..

And then I came across a shop filled with very expensive handbags, all made in the likeness of cats.

Cat bag anyone?

And then it was time to head back to Panzano in Chianti.

Shopping done, plenty of wandering, a few sights seen and a whole collection of unexpected little memories to take with us.

Another fabulous city visit added to the travel memories.

Arrivederci, Florence!

Catherine & Jeff