I found Florence instantly more likeable than Rome. The streets were quieter and the city is walkable. It was the birthplace of the Renaissance and has been a magnet for artists for centuries, who come to study the masterpieces inside the Uffizi gallery and lining the streets of Florence. The Ponte Vecchio is one of my favourite parts of Florence, although I prefer admiring it from a distance, since the bridge itself is permanently packed with tourists.

Both sides of the bridge are lined with expensive jewellery stores. At nineteen I was too broke to even be looking in the windows. I assume the rent on the most famous bridge in Florence would be terrifyingly steep and that the jewellery would have price tags to match. Maybe next time I’ll be game enough to poke my head in and at least admire the beautiful jewellery.

This was taken from inside the bridge, at an opening between the stores. If you can wriggle your way to the front, it’s a nice spot to stop for a while.

I can’t wait to go back and meander through Florence and take in all of its beauty. On my first visit in the middle of winter, we went on long walking tours which quickly lost my interest as I started to focus on finding patches of sunlight to defrost in. Next time I’m going to try and learn a lot more about Florence before I go next time and pay more attention to the history and the culture in my surroundings. I’m also looking forward to taking more photos because I won’t have to have a fast and furious argument with my freezing hands which refused to leave the warmth of my pockets to take a photo.