Italy: Florence — Day 1

I was supposed to arrive in Florence at around 6PM, but arrived here at 10 PM because I took the train all the way to Rome instead of getting off at Florence. Don’t do that, kids.

But, I did get to see Ponte Vecchio lit up brilliantly on the way to my hostel. This bridge used to have a lot of beggars and homeless people, until whoever the king was at the time decided he didn’t like it and ordered only jewelers to open shops on the bridge. And still to this day, the bridge is lined with jewelry shops! And often there is live music in the middle with a big crowd and has a great atmosphere.

A lot of the attractions are north of the river Arno and hostels might be more expensive there. But if you walk across the Ponte Vecchio or any other bridge south of the river — to the Oltrarno area — you can find cheaper housing and a much more ‘local’ type of atmosphere. There are millions of piazzas and live music everywhere. The restaurants tend to not be tourist traps and less crowded. 10/10 would recommend.