When I initially set off on my journey back in January I had initially hoped I might be able to find work (ideally in Spain) and sustain an expat lifestyle at least for a little.  How amazing would it have been to set up a home base in Spain and see the rest of Europe from thousands of miles closer?  Simply amazing is my answer to that.  I’ve been doing a little research lately an looked into ebook that was recommended to me.  Titled Moving and Living in Spain, it doesn’t get much more appropriate than that if you’re planning on moving to and living in Spain.  I briefly looked over the featured book and I have to say it’s pretty good.  You also get three bonus books on housing, moving tips and some info on the Spanish language.  For $34 it’s a pretty good deal, and the best part is you can return it and get all your money back if you decide it sucks (at that point you have probably printed them all out anyway).  With that said, I’m excited to get a little reading done and see what pans out.  Please let me know if you happen to purchase this guide and any useful tips you can throw my way that I may miss.  Here’s the link for ya: Moving and Living in Spain

Moving on to the East, let’s chat about the other useful guide I found pertaining to Florence, Italy.  As my favorite city in Italy you can imagine I was excited to find some more info on the sites, sounds and smells of the area.  Same as before, you have 8 weeks to return this puppy for a full refund.  That’s enough time to visit Florence, come back, soak it all in, then decide if you liked or disliked the ebook and return it.  The Ultimate Guide to Florence also comes with a nice little digital photo book of the major attractions around the city and a few other bonuses all for about $15.  Check this guy out to if you’re interested and as always feel free to let me know what you think: The Ultimate Guide to Florence

I hope these guides will be useful, and if you have any links or book ideas that you’d like to share just go ahead and leave a little comment and anyone can gain access to it through the comment link on the bottom right of all my posts.  Enjoy!

My love of Florence came before I even stepped foot in the city itself. Maybe it was the mountainous scenery and lush green landscape that preceded my arrival into the train station Santa Maria Novella. It could have been the fact I was basking in the sun one of the few times my entire trip. Alas, I concluded it was merely the charm and beauty I had expected when I arrived in Italy, and Florence was displaying that with such style and ease.

The city has a number of architectural sights to see as well as a few well known museums. I couldn’t leave without seeing Michelangelo’s David inside the Galleria Dell’Accademia (Academy Gallery). I went into the gallery with zero expectation, ready to make an unbiased opinion despite what experts have said.

I was blown away, a must see for anyone who visits Florence.

As with most amazing sights or experiences in life, pictures do not do it justice (I snuck quick one anyway). The attention to detail and scale of David is simply amazing. The muscles are depicted in ridiculous detail, including the veins in his arms. The veins in the marble itself seem to perfectly flow with the human form that is created. The one thing I would say seemed out of proportion would be his hands (I was told that was intentional for various reasons to display mans ability to create). Whatever the reason, David is a masterpiece and it’s no surprise to me that his replicas are the most photographed sculptures in the world (you aren’t supposed to photograph the original…).

After you’ve soaked up enough art for the time being, I would head to the Duomo (pic below), officially named the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Saint Maria’s Cathedral). This large cathedral dominates the Florence skyline and is hard to miss. It’s free to enter the main cathedral and worth while to bend your neck upwards once you reach the dome to take in something beautiful artwork. Leaving the dome, I headed south, stopped for some more delicious gelato (nothing new), then stopped to people watch in Piazza Della Signoria, which also happens to feature the Galleria degli Uffizi (Gallery of The Offices) that holds arguably the worlds greatest collection of Renaissance paintings. Pass through the piazza towards the Arno River and cross Florence’s most photographed bridge the Ponte Vecchio. This leads us outside the pedestrian chaos brewing inside the central tourist areas and lets us escape into the hills just outside the city limits, my favorite part.

I enjoyed getting outside the city so much I did it everyday I was there. I was lost in residential streets soaking up the quiet green space, hoping to catch a glimpse of the city from above. This chance came on my second day when I was graciously hosted through the city outskirts by a great travel guide and companion, Kathleen. As always, it’s great to explore a city with an English speaking friend, not to mention an American studying in the city! The highlight of my whole experience is Florence were my visits to the Pizzale Michelangelo, a plaza located in the hills just across the river from the city center. Unbeatable views of the entire city and glimpses off into the distant hills made this a favorite spot for me to soak in the rays, relax, and get in a little reading.

Before you leave be sure to enjoy some of that great Italian food during a special time known as aperitivo (thanks again to Kathleen for that tip). It’s not really advertised anywhere, but it is basically a better version of American happy hour. You buy one drink, usually for 5-10 euro, which isn’t cheap for just a drink, but then you get to stuff your face with a buffet-like supply of pastas and other delicious treats. Well worth it, so stop by Oibo near the Basilica di Santa Croce for a nice little aperitivo.

Florence was my first big city it Italy and I could not have been more excited to see it. Not overly busy this time of year, like Rome promises to be, with an absolutely gorgeous backdrop of olive green hills and blue skies. Take your time there and enjoy all it has to offer (especially the gelato).