Florence

I arrived on an overnight Flix Bus and dropped off my bag at the hostel. What a beautiful city! I loved walking through narrow alleyways on cobblestone, looking at the greenery resting on brightly colored buildings. My tour guide brought us through Santa Maria, the Florence cathedral, Piazza de la Signoria, and church of Santa Croce. Florence church buildings are infamous for their pastel colors and design. The tour guide explained that white represents faith, green represents hope, and red represents charity. Inside these buildings are master works of art… I explored the city with a couchsurfer and we walked up the Michaelangelo hill to view the city. I enjoyed a pasta dinner with my hostelmates and enjoyed some nice conversation with travelers from Mexico, Argentina, Austria, and Spain.

The next day, I walked through the Ponte Vecchio, a famous neighborhood, San Frediano, and shared the gospel with a traveler from Japan. Then, I met a guy doing a medical internship from Poland and we went up to Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte next to the Michaelangelo hill to view the city by night. I got some gelato and called it a night. Florence isn’t very large so I was able to see every free attraction in two days. It’s definitely a jewel and one of the most beautiful cities in the world…

Here’s the tastiest food I found on a budget in Florence:

• Gusto’s margherita pizza (5 euros)
• All’Antico Vinaio panini (5 euros)
• La Carraia gelato (2 euros)

Duration

2 days

Accommodation

Hostel (2 nights)

Favorite Food

Panini from All’Antico Vinaio

Favorite Site

Piazzale Michaelangelo

Cool Person I Met

Timothj. Timothj is from a small town in Northern Italy and has studied in Florence for the past four years. He’s just finishing up a Masters’ in law and commerce. We met through couchsurfing.com and walked around the city talking about America, Elon Musk, and life in Florence. He took me to the best panini shop in town (all of Italy?) and we continued exchanging stories.

Highlight

Walking around small neighborhoods on my own, incredibly impressed by the renaissance style

Big Takeaway

I’ve never been so interested in art, but Florence might’ve changed that… Florence became the epicenter for artistic innovation and brilliance 600 years ago. The Louvre, Vatican, and any other famous museum contains quite the collection of renaissance art, which was mostly crafted by Florentine artists. Today, people from every ethnic group still marvel at these works, which has impacted our world. There’s something beautiful to admire about human creativity.

I’ve always seen myself as a left-brained, logical kind of guy. I studied Accounting, I love excel (haha), and I try to be very practical and productive. Growing up, I never expressed much interest in the arts (painting, dancing, photography, poetry, etc.). My interests began to change in college and my artistic interest has only strengthened since traveling. I’m particularly interested in observing paintings, photography, and vlogging.

I realize that a person is not limited indefinitely to their natural abilities. If there is a will there is a way, usually. I’m not foolishly optimistic to say that a 140 pound, five foot tall guy can become the next greatest linebacker in the NFL. Though, I must say we often limit ourselves too much. Just because I’m naturally inclined to logic and organized thinking, doesn’t mean I can’t learn to become more artistic. This, by the way, assumes logic and creativity are mutually exclusive! I think there is some overlap. If you have a passion to learn, go for it! Otherwise, it’s extremely difficult. I encourage everyone to pursue interests they feel called to and enjoy, regardless of your natural limitations.

Your Turn

Do you think someone can “change his stars”, train himself/herself to become more logical or creative?

What is your favorite artwork of all time?