Trip 2… Florence Day 4
“I have wandered all my life, and I have also travelled; the difference between the two being this, that we wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfilment”
This quote from Hilaire Belloc gets it so right; travelling is the ultimate way to find fulfilment, well for me anyway. It wasn’t always like that though. When I first started this journey, I was worried that I couldn’t do it all on my own in a new place so I’m pleased that I proved myself wrong and can now safely say - if you’re lost and don’t recognise yourself, traveling solo can help you reconnect with yourself while you connect with the world around you. Not only will you find yourself but you’ll gain so much self-confidence. I would highly recommend having a solo trip every so often. For myself - I could do this forever!
It was the last day of the trip - time to pack up and head back to the UK. As I was slowly packing everything I had bought on my trip, I took a moment to look through all the Polaroid photos that I had taken along the way. I felt incredibly proud of myself and will be forever thankful to my past self for biting the bullet and experiencing solo travel.
I made the most of my last free breakfast in Florence: Cereal, full English, even PANCAKES!! Watching them being made right in front of my eyes in a machine was quite cool! Eating in front of a window that opened out to a view of the Duomo was possibly the best final breakfast I could imagine. After finishing and gaining enough energy for the day before me, I returned to my room and booked one more museum - Accademia Gallery.
For this trip, I would love to thank Get Your Guide, as well as Skyscanner, Trip.com, and also JULY for finding me the best deals for flights, hotels, great check-in suitcases, and even guided trips throughout this journey. Making it nice and easy to book this whole experience on a budget too!
One last look at the beautiful view from my balcony then it was time to check out. I left my suitcase with the concierge and off I went.
While walking around admiring the artwork, I came across a musical instrument museum - I HAD TO GO!!! In the first beautiful room, I was surrounded by cellos, violins, guitars, mandolins, double basses, hurdy-gurdy, flutes, and clarinets. Turning into the other room I saw historical harpsichords and pianos. I was loving every second of this experience; looking at the details and seeing the history of each instrument up close, made me long to get back to playing music. All the instruments are in pristine condition, I would have loved to play them!
I had to drag myself away though, there was so much more to see in the museum before my train departed for the airport. The biggest reason this gallery is so famous is because of what was around the corner. There I saw it - The statue of David, all 100% of him standing in the center at the bottom of the long corridor, basking in the glorious sunshine, standing tall, head held high. There was a sea of people swarming around him, taking pictures of him and with him in the background and I was going to be one of them! I wasn’t going to miss out on taking photos of one of the most well-known statues of all time!
Again, I couldn’t stay long; I didn’t have a lot of time, more and more people were crowding in, and I wasn’t sure how much more of the museum I had left to view. So onwards I went, through rooms filled with statues of just heads, full-body statues, animals, and even cupids. Accademia Gallery - 9/10 - Highly Recommend!
After going back through, past David, and finding the exit, I emerged in a small, cute bookshop. After having a quick browse, I checked the time and I realised I actually had more spare time than I thought. There was one final place on my list; Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence. Even though it looked similar to the Duomo Cathedral, exploring the smaller back streets and a new direction in Florence drove me to this decision and I was glad I did; it gave me a glimpse of an area less touristy than other places I had seen.
I wanted to get some last-minute souvenirs for my family back home so headed back to the most familiar area of the city where I came across a small stationary shop that went underground and was filled with notebooks, bookmarks, magnets, artwork, books, postcards and so much more. The perfect place for gift-buying. I bought postcards of Florence but also ones of Rome and Venice that were of the same style and were places I had previously visited. They would make a perfect framed set. I also got the obligatory fridge magnets for my grandparents, and some bookmarks for my family who are massive bookworms!
I will always remember the experience I had at this hidden shop. It was tucked away just around the corner from where I had been the day before, at Piazza della Signoria. I then grabbed a sandwich and wandered back to the carousel, where a jazz band played upbeat music. Perfect.
The last thing I wanted to do before leaving was to visit the beautiful gelato shop with the chocolate waterfall and get some gelato. I highly recommend Venchi Cioccolato e Gelato - their chocolate isn’t too rich and the gelato was top-notch. I sat by the Duomo, cherishing the final memory of my trip. 9/10!
As I took a deep breath and looked at the Duomo Cathedral one last time, I knew it was time to begin the long journey back to the UK. I will always be grateful for this experience and what it taught me.
Having collected my suitcase, I took the tram back to the airport, admiring the outskirts of Florence and reflecting on everything that had happened in the past few days. I also updated my family about my return home. At the airport, after going through security and duty-free, I bought a cute little keyring as a last-minute gift for my step-sister, and a hot chocolate and donut for myself before boarding my flight to Amsterdam.
Once on the plane, I looked out the window for take-off, then put on my headphones, and settled back, preparing to return to reality. I listened to music on Spotify and played Zelda TOTK, which made the flight feel like it lasted only 5 minutes. During a quick stop at the Amsterdam airport, I grabbed a meal from McDonalds, and then took the final flight back to the UK. I informed my family of my arrival time, and they headed to the airport, eager to see me.
Despite the second flight being only 40 minutes long and the plane being nearly empty, I got stuck next to a not-so-nice lady coughing for the whole journey! It wasn’t a great finish to the trip. The UK was dark, cold, and windy. When I walked towards passport control, I found the doors closed and the lights off, so someone had to be called to let us back into the airport. Very strange!
After passing the baggage claim area, I headed down the long corridor and turned around the corner. That's when I saw my family holding a "WELCOME HOME!!!" sign. They surprised me and jumped for joy, just like a dog welcoming its owner back from a long day at work. I felt loved and happy to see people I knew again. On the way home, I crashed in the back of the car with a big grin on my face, reliving the memories of the last few days.
Would I go to Florence again? Absolutely! I would rate my experience 9/10. Visiting in January was great as it wasn't too crowded with tourists, but sadly some sites closed early or were completely closed for the season. I hope they don't replace the original shops of Florence, keeping its charm. It would be such a shame for it to become overrun with tourist shops.
Would I change anything if I could go back? Nope. It was amazing and not too overwhelming for a first-time solo female traveller.
On to the next adventure!!
Ciao for now!
E x
