Showing posts with label Florence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Florence. Show all posts

Travel :: Packing for Europe

We're already halfway to the weekend y'all! Don't you love short weeks?! Since we're packing up for a little road trip to the Sunshine State this weekend, I've been frantically trying to cross some things off my trusty to-do list.

One thing I've been working on is a photo album of our Europe trip, which is taking me longer than I expected because A) I'm a perfectionist and B) I keep finding myself scrolling through pictures, drooling over the food we ate and wishing I had two weeks off of work again.

I remembered how hard it was for me to pack for unpredictable Spring weather, without completely over-packing and lugging massive suitcases around Italy. I usually lean more toward comfort for trips like this, I certainly wasn't the most fashionable in Paris, but I don't think I looked like a tourist which was a good thing.

Packing for Europe


Jackets/Blazers: I packed my favorite trench coat and although it was a little thin for the colder days we had in Paris, it was perfect for the majority of the trip! We were so lucky to only have 2 days with a little rain but it came in handy at night when it was a little cooler, even in Italy. If I wasn't wearing my trench, I had a navy blue 3/4 sleeve blazer that was easy to throw on if I was chilly.


Dresses: I love wearing dresses in general so I brought one along for the warmer days. Make sure it covers your shoulders, or bring a scarf to cover them, when you're heading to tour churches.

Pants: I packed two pairs of jeans and two pairs of leggings and it worked great with the Spring weather. I never had to wash my jeans and my leggings were easy to wash and hang to dry.

Tops: I brought two short-sleeve tees, two thin button downs, and two or three shirts with 3/4 sleeves. The longer sleeve shirts were my go-to on most days while we were in Italy so I didn't have to bring a jacket. I also wore a thin sweater around Siena and it was perfect in the morning.

Crossbody Bag: This was the number one thing all of my blog friends recommended and they were so right! I brought one big enough for my DSLR and another smaller one for the evenings when I didn't feel like bringing my camera.


Shoes: I debated taking my boots but was glad that I did because I needed them in Venice and Paris. I saved space in my luggage by wearing them on travel days. Pack a comfy pair of flats and some boat shoes or something similar for a more casual tourist day.

Jewelry: I didn't go too crazy on the jewelry while we were in Europe. I don't like bulky statement necklaces while I'm walking around all day but if you're into that, pack one that matches most of your outfits.

Scarves: These were probably the best accessory I packed! I had 3 scarves that I could mix and match with all of my outfits and with the cooler breeze in the Spring, I found myself wearing one almost every day.


We really got lucky with our weather and didn't need any warm clothes in Florence. Even Rome and Siena were in the low-70s and sunny on some days, so I found myself removing my scarf or blazer after a couple hours.

Camera Equipment: For my DSLR, I just packed my stock lens and the charger. It worked great for me since I'm a beginner and I feel like I captured a lot of great photos with it! I brought three memory cards and switched them out every couple of days. We used our phone cameras for any pictures we asked someone to take for us and my hubby got some amazing panoramic shots with his iPhone!


Don't forget an adapter! We brought two (found here and here) and they worked great in both Italy and Paris. You can use the two-prong adapters even if the wall socket fits a three-prong. Just don't force it and pull something straight out of Just Married.

If you're looking for help on packing your carry-on, make sure to check out my guest post over at Newlyweds:North!

Anyone have anything else to add?! I know some of you are planning trips to Europe this summer, so hopefully this will help a little even though you'll be dealing with much warmer weather than we did!

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Travel :: Florence

Happy Hump day! Today we get to pick Ruby up from the vet after her surgery! I'm both excited to have her back home with us but nervous about this whole recovery process. Eek!

Okay enough of my dog mom problems, today I'm sharing my favorite photos from our 2 days in beautiful Florence! I didn't expect to love Florence as much as I did, its so charming and everything is very walkable.

Our first stops after dropping off our bags was the Duomo, Baptistry (which was covered in scaffolding so I didn't bother taking a photo of the outside), and Giotto's Campanile (bell tower).  In true Steve fashion, we had to climb the bell tower. I got to the first level, which was pretty high, before I had enough and Steve ventured to the top without me. 

Front of the Cathedral {left}, Inside the Baptistery {Right}

View from the Campanile
We also saw the David statue at the Accademia the first day. Unfortunately no pictures were allowed but it was huge! The level of detail is amazing, you can see the veins in his hands! I recommend purchasing your tickets online (here) for both the Accademia and Uffizi Gallery. The line at the Uffizi was huge, even in the off-season, so you'll thank me later.

We walked over to the San Lorenzo market and perused the stands, where leather shop owners kept trying to sell Steve jackets that were "perfect for his broad shoulders." ha! We didn't buy anything but I enjoyed walking through there. We ate lunch nearby at Ristorante Osteria Pepo, it was quick and delicious.
 
After lunch we headed to Ponte Vecchio. Its basically all jewelry shops there now, but you have to walk through because its so charming!

We stopped at Gilli near the Piazza della Repubblica on our way back to the hotel for sweets. It was pricey but everything was so delicious! We got the "Cat Eye" cookies, at least that's what Steve thought was the translation, which you can see in the top left of the photo below. We also picked up a cannolli and some macarons. I would love to have all of those right about now!

We stayed at Hotel il Guelfo Bianco, which was just a couple blocks from the Cathedral. We had a huge room with a view of the Duomo and an extremely comfortable bed. The breakfast was okay, but I did love the fancy cappuccinos!


Our second day in Florence involved a ton of walking, but it was really fun exploring. Our first stop was the Uffizi Gallery, which had an amazing collection including some famous Botticelli, Titian, and Rembrandt pieces. We took a few photos at the Palazzo Vecchio afterwards and then headed to Piazzale Michelangelo.

 

It was a long trek but it was worth it for the views! On our way back down we stopped at Gusta Pizza, which is a must for the most delicious wood-fired pizza! It was easily the best pizza we had and we wished we had each gotten our own rather than sharing... yes, I'm aware that we are pigs.

To top it off we got some gelato from Grom, which is right next to the Cathedral.


Pretty street lined with lots of eye candy in the form of Celine, Burberry, Hermes, etc.
For dinner our last night we headed back to the market area to eat at Trattoria Za Za. We sat inside because the outside tables were packed. The service was slow (I think that's a European thing) but the food was delicious and totally worth it. I'll give you one guess as to what I ordered...


Overall, Florence was a hit! We loved seeing the Cathedral and Duomo lit up at night on our walks back to the hotel. The next morning we headed back to the train station to catch our fast train to Venice! We used the new-ish Italo train company for this leg of the trip, and the "Prima" seats were really comfortable and worth the extra couple euros.


If you missed them, you can see more pretty pictures from Rome (part one and part two) and Siena! 

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