Valentine’s Day in Florence

We are following Lily’s Florence itinerary that she planned out on Canva (with a couple tweaks). Unfortunately kids cannot do an e-bike tour so we had to cross that off the list. And we likely won’t go to the Uffizi gallery. But I love that she put time and creativity into planning things to do in Florence.

Lily had a “little” crepe for breakfast. Miraculously it did not all end up on her shirt.

Michelangelo’s sculpture of David is in an unassuming building. I would have walked right past the museum if my phone hadn’t told me we had arrived. I knew the sculpture was large. But gosh, it was huge. Ok, so yes, there obviously a naked man in this picture. But once you get past that fact, the details on the rest of the body are incredible.

Some of David’s proportions were purposefully larger than reality. Extra long arms and a massive right hand. Look at the veins, the knuckles. It took Michelangelo 4 years (1501-1504) to carve it out of a SINGLE piece of marble.

We hiked to Piazelle Michelangelo to take in the views of Florence. Stunning.

Right after we took this very bright family selfie, a nice young man asked me if I would take a picture for him. I took his phone and it had a message that said “Please video this for me, I am going to propose.” He asked, she said yes, and I felt happy to be a part of that moment for them.

On the walk down the hill, we were talking about the proposal and I realized that it is Valentines Day. Then I looked down and saw a bunch of heart shaped glitter.

Normally I frown at graffiti, but I was glad this one caught my eye. Valentina in Florence.

We walked over that bridge to cross the Arno River – Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in Florence – on our way up to the Piazzele. It is full of shops that hang off the side of the bridge. It was originally used by blacksmiths, butchers, and tanners until the Medici family arrived and turned into a market for goldsmiths and artists to stop the pollution of the river below. This bridge was the only one that survived WWII, as well as a major flood in 1966 that cleared the shops’ inventory but the structure remained in tact.

Jay had what he described as “the world’s best ham and cheese” for lunch at Menchetti. Lily had meatballs (hold the side of spinach). Ty and I had pizza. Shearer Party of 4 gives it 4 Thumbs Up.

Everyone was tuckered after lunch (12,000 steps by noon will do that to you), so we went to the hotel for a rest. The kids didn’t want to go back out so Jay and I gave them the all clear on room service (Lily ordered a steak lol) and we meandered the streets of Florence.

These cute little doors are maybe a foot tall. We have seen a couple throughout Florence. This one said to knock, so I did. A waitress took my wine order. Jay and I sipped a glass of delicious wine in an alley in Florence.

We found a restaurant called Paoli that had an open table. Jay said it was the best meal of his life. That is saying a lot. He had Kobe beef and potatoes. I had Tuscan vegetable soup and Mezzelune pasta with truffles. A.maz.ing. It’s been a long time since Jay and I have been out for a nice dinner on Valentine’s Day. To happen to walk into one of the hundreds of restaurants and enjoy an incredible dinner was a gift. Shearer Party of 2 gives it FOUR thumbs up. Best rating yet.

Walking the streets of Florence at night is an entirely different experience. Maybe it is because it is Valentine’s Day. Or because it is Ash Wednesday. Or because it is a perfect Wednesday evening in February in Florence. But there was an energy all around us. Beautiful people. Talented violinists and accordion players. Incredible sculptures.