Finding Florence

I’m fresh from a recent trip to Florence, which was actually a gift to my partner for a trip away to celebrate her graduation from a very intense 5 years of studying at Uni to get her degree. 

Given my partner's love of architecture, I had hoped that aside from great food - and what I anticipated to be better winter weather than London - it would be a visually stunning city to see and embrace. 

We are both last minute packers and despite telling myself I would be better prepared, I began packing 2 days prior. And as I would later find, I over packed. Go figure. 

FLYING IN.

Our landing day involved a fairly empty flight, which made us feel like we were on a private jet. We took off almost bang on time and managed a short nap. Arriving in Italy, I navigated using instructions from our AirBNB. Travelling around cities is always something I like to feel I have a grip on. We bought our train tickets from a curt woman at one of the airport's shops. Her manner was dismissive and cold. Given Brits are known for their over politeness, I couldn't determine if this was standard. Or whether it was her. Who knows

We didn't let it bother us and enjoyed a fairly quick train ride to the centre, before the rain greeted us and we needed to jump on a bus. What we didn't know was that we could have used the same ticket. I say this as we got hit with an 80 euro fine for having two unvalidated bus tickets! Our train tickets had been validated, but we’d not been told about the bus, so fucked up royally there. By this point, it was pissing with rain and we just wanted to get to our AirBnB. Great start.

Thankfully our AirBNB host was great. He actually ended up being a very worldly swimwear designer and his apartment was located in a non-tourist side of town. We were incredibly hungry by lunchtime and went out to a nearby cafe on recommendation from our host. Suffice to say, it was not a place I’d be recommending any time soon and a reminder to brush up on our Italian! With the rain blessing us throughout and us licking our salty wounds, I wanted nothing more than a nice snuggle in. So, we agreed to have a take out dinner and relax instead.

Our dinner was pizza from Berberè, Which we ventured out to get. The service was warm. The pizza, delicious!

24 HOURS IN

Day 2 was a lazy start, with no rush to wake up (I was up around 7) and then a leisurely stroll into the city centre to get some breakfast from a place I had sourced. Our host met us and told us to forget our plans and head to a place he recommended. Based on the previous recommendation, I did gulp inside. We checked it out though; a stylish little coffee place, with hippie vibes. Breakfast was croissants, which we didn’t take up. But I enjoyed one of the best Chai Latte’s I’ve ever had. 

Next, our plan was to continue as I had envisioned: stroll around the centre and then stop for a bite to eat. We found the beautiful Piazza del Duomo with ease, and despite reviews online, we did not have as big a queue to get in as everyone had stated. We queued for less than 8 minutes before venturing in. I know some people pay to do a 1 hour walking tour to bypass the queue, but it would have been a waste of money for us. As the main sites all seemed to be close by, we took our time people-watching and taking in the various statues and architecture that surrounded us.

We also found the breakfast place I had picked out - The Rooster Cafe - and while it was FAR SMALLER than I imagined, we got lucky with a window seat within 5 minutes of arrival. The food was delicious and the drinks - me a blueberry-mix smoothie and my partner, an ice latte - impressive for their portion size. The ice latte in particular was not what we had in mind! If we had time, I’d go back in a heartbeat.

Following breakfast, we went back to the main sites before strolling around the rest of Florence. Day 2 was the warmest of the entire stay, with me utilising my Levi’s sherpa jacket. Dinner was in a restaurant which was very popular with the locals. Embarrassingly, we struggled with the language barrier again and neither of us could use our phone data.

I had chicken with tomato salad, my partner had ravioli. We both agreed our choices probably weren’t the best the restaurant had to offer, but we appreciated the ambience of the locals. I found myself drawn to a black toy poodle that was happily enjoying being inside the hustle and bustle of the family run business.  

48 HOURS DONE

Day 3 was our busiest day. Again, we walked everywhere. We enjoyed some black and white pics in a photobooth and ticked off various places we wanted to see. Despite it being said to be a tourist trap, we were intrigued by the leather market. Tourist trap or not, one thing I do admire are traders’ stalls. You get a blend of people, goods and intention. 

I wasn’t expecting the weather to be so cold, and stupidly had forgotten my scarf. My Alpha Industries N-2B jacket saw me through this day, but I could have easily worn another jacket. And another. We finished off with breathtaking views of the city, watching the sun go down. We enjoyed another pizza at Berberè and it felt so good to take our shoes off and literally put our feet up.

Our last day was go-go-go, as we wanted to do some final bits such as heading to the shops to get some gifts, doing some final walks, taking in the remaining beauty of the city and saying goodbye to our host. The weather felt ice cold, with me finally utilising two jackets: both my Alpha AND the Levi’s. Somehow, this didn’t stop me eating some gelato in a small, but friendly shop in a quieter part of town. I opted for a scoop of pineapple and mint and a scoop of coconut. I’m not usually a fan of caramel or chocolate ice creams, but the caramel with pink salt flavour that my partner opted for was heavenly.

I felt like I saw so much and so little all in one. The architecture truly was phenomenal. I could have eaten so much more though, with my belly still lusting for pastas. I enjoyed watching out for individual styles. The city exuded a mix of elegance and low-key chic. Even the dogs (it’s a dog loving city) were dressed to the nines in a variety of jackets.

BLACK DUDE IN FLORENCE

As a black guy, I’m often asked by other non-white folk how I feel in other cities outside London, or other countries. It’s sad that it’s even a thing, but it is. Florence was fine for the most part. The only downside was being approached constantly by groups of African men and women who would throw bracelets at me and my partner, under the scam that it was ‘free’ and a ‘gift of kindness’ before reaching into their bag to provide more and then ask for money. 

I was constantly asked where I/my parents were from as a way to bond, before trying it. “Waka Waka Africa!” is what I heard on more than one occasion. A smile, before the request for money. They tried it on everyone, with some people I spotted angrily saying “No! I don’t want this! Stop chucking it at me!” after being thrown the same exact bracelet I was given.

It made me miss the diversity of London. At the same time, it made me think of how black people may be perceived in Italy (other European cities) and that of people who come into London, when all they’ve known is small town life. It’s a culture shock and not everything is always what it seems.

FINAL THOUGHTS.

My partner enjoyed herself and that’s all that matters to me. Florence was cold, but fun and I could have lost myself for days down the winding alleys, which - unlike ones in London - didn't smell like stale piss, vomit or booze.

But, on a level, we really do need to know more than Ciao, Grazie and Preggo. It's embarrasing!