I've arrived in Florence. It's really magnificient, and thankfully lives up to the huge expectations I had for the city. In my mind, growing up, it's always been a city of art, warm sunshine, and golden domes.

I came to Florence on perhaps the longest (and cheapest) way possible (bus Tarsus - Adana, flight Adana - Istanbul, long layover, flight Istanbul - Rome, train Rome airport - city, hostel for 6 hours, train Rome city - Florence). But it was worth it. Since Florence is such a small city, I just started out without looking at a map. I love "discovering" the famous landmarks without expecting it. There's something wonderful about turning a corner, and being surprised by this sight:

I'm not going to blog about everything I saw and did, because I'm only in Florence for three days and I'd rather be out exploring than in my hotel room blogging (Yes, that's right, I did actually splurge, cancel my 5-bed hostel room and book a real hotel room. Well, real in that it's in a hotel, but still cheap because it's a teeny-tiny single with a shared washroom!)

The inside of the Duomo was not as spectacular as the outside, except for the frescos on the dome:


Finally, another famous Florence sight: the Ponte Vecchio. I remember seeing a picture of this bridge, maybe in high school and being surprised that I didn't know what city it was in. Once I figured that out, I knew I needed to go visit it myself. It's simply stunning, and the colors are so vivid in the September light:



So yesterday's highlights:

Going through all the steps of the trip without any stress or tight connections (well planned, I'd say!)
Stumbling upon the Duomo
Seeing Michaelangelo's David (no pictures allowed.)
Eating massive amounts of proscuitto, parmiagiano regino and Florentine bread
The weather - sunny and much cooler than I expected (once again, I packed the wrong kind of clothes. Definitely one of my shortcomings as a traveler, I can't read weather forecasts and properly choose appropriate clothing! Oh well, an excuse to buy a sweater at H&M)