Day Five: Florence

We woke up early next day.  We took our time getting ready, but we also decided that we would do things differently.  We wanted to bring a change of clothes so we could go out and enjoy the evening and not have to come back to the house to change.  Getting our things together took time.  For breakfast I had bruschetta and cheese.  I could eat this all day...

The lovely couple suggested we go to a town nearby called Monteriggioni.  They have a castle there and it’s surrounded in the infamous Tuscany landscape.  I fell in love with the cypress evergreen trees.  We even found lavender bushes, as well as basil growing around the castle.  

Basil amd lavender...

My knight in shining armor?

Where is everybody??

It was barely 11am, and not many people were in town.  It made it easier for us to look around.  We were getting the itch for our next cup of espresso.  We decided to go to Siena instead for our fix.
Since it now was the afternoon it was starting to get busy.  We found a café called Nannini and sat down for a while.  When we decided to walk around the plaza.  We were enjoying the town and later on we grew hungry.  Now that siesta was calming down, it was perfect for us to grab a bite.  I wasn’t in the mood for a full meal, so I settled on a glass of red with some focaccia bread.  My friend ate buffet style.  Off we went to our new destination!

Siena early afternoon...

Quick bite in this cafe...

We drove to Florence and I immediately noticed how populated it is.  There are a ton of people walking around.  I believe it is a busier city than Rome.  We found parking and walked to the main plaza.  There were so many shops and people it was getting a little overwhelming.  We were walking through so many streets we practically walked into the Duomo chiesa!  It blew my mind away!  The detailing of this church is beautiful.  I wanted to go inside but my friend started to get anxious with all of the people around.  Luckily inside we felt better and took our time admiring the cielo of this church.  We saw a huge line charging people to go upstairs, but because my friend felt claustrophobic we decided to skip that too.  Apparently the view up there is amazing.

DUOMO!

Bella chiesa...

We continued to walk around the area and decided to go towards the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge aka the Gold Bridge.  There my friend explained how people from all over the world buy their jewelry from the shops. What beautiful pieces!  I wish I had brought more loot with me.  Lol.

We were growing tired again by all the walking.  She suggested we go find a nice bar with a view of the bridge and the Arno River.  We settled on Signorvino wine bar.  They seated us at the balcony and me and my friend couldn’t stop taking pictures.  We started having a conversation with an English woman who was seated next to us.  I think she was enjoying our conversation so we decided to include her in it.  She was staying at a hotel by the bridge and was enjoying her time there.

Light bites again.  The view was amazing!

At one point we received a phone call by the lovely couple we were staying with.  We had just ordered some apretivo and they were inviting us to dinner again.  I didn’t think my friend had agreed to dinner again, but I warned her I might not eat very much since I just ordered some food.  My appetite doesn’t work like most people.  If I’m not hungry, I’ll play with my food.  She understood and was going to tell a white lie for me by saying I had a tummy ache.  I didn't want to get their feelings hurt in case I wouldn’t eat as much.

We drove back home afterwards and had a light dinner with the couple.  They were cute because they knew we wanted to go out so they told us we were free to go.  Lol.  We quickly showered and got ready.  A friend of theirs suggested some spots for us to go out to.  Off we went back to Florence again. 

I noticed right away that the streets were pretty empty.  My friend thought about it for a second and realized that northern Italy does things differently than southern Italy.  She was worried some places close early.  We found parking but got lost trying to find this one wine bar.  This took over 30-40 minutes, at one point even jumping into a cab because my friend’s feet hurt from all the walking we were doing.   When we reached our destination on the GPS we still couldn’t find it.  My friend realized after the fact that the wine bar had closed at 9pm.  So much for that.

We walked into here to get directions.  We figured we would come back if we couldn't find the other spot.

Our back up plan was Sesio at the Westin Hotel.  We took another cab there and had a better feeling about that place because it was in a fancy hotel.  We made our way up to the rooftop and there was a relatively small group up there, but as the night went on, more people showed up.  We ordered a bottled of wine and as usual, it came with complimentary cookies, nuts and chocolates.  That was a nice surprise.  My friend noticed there weren’t any Italians up there; mostly tourists, which was fine by me because the view was amazing.  We stayed and talked the rest of the evening and off we went.  We did a lot that day!

At the rooftop at the Westin Hotel.

Cin cin

The lobby was breathtaking...

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Day Four: Florence

I shared a cab with a woman who was heading to the airport as well.  We chatted about our trip in Amsterdam.  She was here for work but took some time to walk around and do some sight seeing.  She loved her trip.  She wants to take her children there one day.  She was flying back to Seattle.  

Once at the airport I got on the wifi and my friend from Italy was messaging me.  She was going to meet me in Florence much later than anticipated.  I wasn't given much details so I got on my flight. 

When I landed in Florence I got a call from her.  She was just leaving her region!  I did not want to be waiting at the airport for 6 hours so she gave me suggestions on what to do.  I was pretty upset but what can you do?  You can't cry over spilled milk.  I did my makeup and ate some lunch at the airport before venturing out into the city. 

I took a bus from the airport which drove me to main train station in the city.  This station was their Union Station.  Luckily there was a place I could place my luggage in storage while I walked around.  That was a nice feature.  

There was a mini mall there and I took advantage of it.  Eventually I got the nerves to venture out of the station.  I was getting nervous because there were so many people around.  I started to walk into some small shops.  I didn't want to venture out too far since I needed to check up on my friend's status.  After a few hours I waited back at the station and my friend finally came after 5pm.  Now it was time to find the place where we would be staying.  Some friends of her boyfriend offered up their place to stay.  They were located right outside of Florence.  We were going to have dinner with them at 7pm.

Once we arrived we settled in our rooms and had a massive dinner.  I was super stuffed!  It was like a thanksgiving feast!  I kept drinking wine and eating and eating that I started to nod off at the table.  I was embarrassed but I haven't ate like that in a long time.  I'm one of those people that starts shutting down if I sit too long after eating so much.  I need to move around or else I get too tired.  

The grand fest!  Everything was delish!

Sheep's cheese

The infamous Florentine steak!  The inside is pretty raw...

For dessert we had this hazel almond cake.

We had a sweet liquor to go along with it.

We talked and talked and then made our way to watch a movie with them in the living room.  I was nodding off again.  Since my friend drove 6 hours to meet me we figured we'll call it a night and begin our day early the next day. 

Day Three: Amsterdam

Since I had technically booked my hotel for 2 nights; I knew I had made a wrong choice.  I bought my flight to Florence on the last minute and figured I would break night on the 3rd day in Amsterdam.  It was Saturday after all and I've done it before in the past.  But now as I've gotten older, I knew I was kidding myself.  My flight was leaving at 9:55am and even if I got to the airport at 8am, what was I going to do with myself this whole time without a room?  I needed to rest at some point.  I booked another night but because my room was given to someone else, they assigned another room for me.  I still had to get up and checkout in the morning.  I woke up early and packed my things.  Luckily my new room was ready, but since I was up already, I got hungry.  I decided to grab breakfast and search for some Dutch pancakes!

I walked my way over to the same area where I had brunch the day before.  But with some many restaurants nearby, I could find a place that served the pancakes.  I DID see however, a crowd of locals standing around a deli.  That's when I realized they were serving the hering sandwich.  A decided to try this favorite Dutch treat.  I was nervous the fish would have bones, but a customer informed me it didn't.  They added the pickles and onions and I took my bite.  It was definitely different but I managed.  I was proud I tried this healthy treat.  Not bad, but I'm not sure if this is something I would crave.  But who knows?

I suddenly got a wave of tiredness that came over me.  Since I had been out the night before, and checked out in the morning, I got super tired.  I had a cup of espresso but it still didn't help.  I decided to go back to the hotel for a nap. 

What a nap it turned out to be!  I slept until 3pm!!  I was losing my day again.  Ugh!  My new friend was messaging me to see what I was doing but I told him what happened.  Both he and my friend in Italy had suggested that I should book a boat tour in the canals.  I went down to the hotel and arranged one with the front desk man.  

I made my way over to the coffee company to have my 2nd cup so I could wake up.  I was so groggy.  The deskman gave me directions to take the tram down to dam square where my tour would start.  It seemed simple enough.  

I found my stop and hopped on.  I got a chance to see just how many people visit Amsterdam.  There were so many people.  Once I entered Dam Square it reminded me of time square.  There were so many people.  I got off my stop and continued my walk over to the boats.  That's when I noticed two guys eating the famous Belgium fries with mayo.  I asked them where it was and they showed me to Minnekan Piss.  Here were the infamous fries.  There was a line but luckily it went quickly.  Hence; that was my lunch.  

I found the spot where my tour was meeting.  Boats run every 15 minutes and I just made one starting now.  I hopped on and found my seat.  What an amazing tour!!  I enjoyed the whole thing.  It was truly breath taking seeing the city this way. 

Me and my new friend had made plans to meet up around 8pm for drinks at my hotel.  By the time I got off my tour I still had time to walk around dam square.  I saw some many interesting stores.  

I took the tram back and made my way to the hotel to get ready.  I was getting nervous because I didn't know where we were going.  He came right on time and he drove us back to museum square.  We took a walk and made our way to Weber Bar.  

There we got a chance to get to know one another.  He was very sweet.  We were having a good time.  He wanted to take me to Red Light District.  I was going to pass up on this if I was by myself, but now that my friend was with me, I figured why not.  

What a change of scenery!!  First of all, there were so many people.  This area is very busy at night.  It was overwhelming but my friend was with me so I felt safe.  I was mostly concerned with walking through a crowd like packed sardines but we were fine.  

He took me to a peep show and that was something I'll never forget.  But there were so many people trying to get in, all curious to see what was going on.  People from all over the world. 

He got hungry and went to a vending machine to grab a burger and drove me back to my hotel.  My flight was at 9:55 to Florence.  So far, Amsterdam was amazing!

Day Two: Amsterdam

This was definitely one of the most tiring days of my trip.  Looking back I'm surprised I crammed so much in.  Since I messed up losing an evening of exploring I wanted to catch up as much as I can.

I bought my ticket for the Van Gogh museum at my hotel's front desk.  He assigned my time slot for 12pm since I was heading out for breakfast.  I woke up early to find a good restaurant to eat.  I looked up yelp reviews in my room earlier and found De Wasserette.  Luckily it was within walking distance.  Of course it's easier said than done but after a while of searching I found it on my own.   I enjoyed my eggs Benedict while I people watched.  Since it was after 9am the city was coming alive.  I finally left an hour later to look for museum square.

 I was getting lost again but eventually saw sign posts knowing I was nearby.  Sure enough I saw the infamous I AMSTERDAM sign from the horizon and knew I finally made it to my destination.   A large group of kids ran up to the sign and started climbing all over it.  People were going crazy taking pictures.  Two young high school students came up to me and asked if I could give them an interview on camera on why I came to Amsterdam.  I asked in return if they could take a picture of me at the sign and they agreed. 

I spent some time in the Museum shop and bought some souvenirs.  Of course once I walked out I saw another vendor stand and I knew I would find cheaper stuff.  The man who was working there was very friendly.  He was kind enough to give me the wifi code and we connected via messenger.  He advised me to go to the museum sooner if there is no line; so off I went.

I was super excited to be in the Van Gogh museum.  I took my time looking at his work and was enjoying every minute of it.   Since I got there early I had beat the rush.  But once that crowd came in I started to get  a little dizzy.  So far I only had one cup of coffee.  I'm a two cups of coffee person so I knew I had to get my java fix soon.  My new friend  messaged me how it was going and I told him I was going to leave soon for my fix.   He invited me back to his shop and we chatted up on my experience.  

I asked him what was happening at the Moco museum since I saw some people taking pictures outside of the museum.  He told me the Banksy exhibit was taking place.  I couldn't believe it!  What are the odds of me stumbling into this exhibit?  I rushed over to see it.  I am beyond grateful I had the opportunity to see his work.

After Moco I met up with my new friend again since now I was starving.  He was having a chicken sandwich from another vendor nearby and I wanted one too.  Once I finished lunch he was advising I should do a boat tour but I told him I was hoping to go to Ann Frank's house.  He was skeptical but told me that maybe some tickets were released since it was late in the day.  It closes at 7pm.

My new friend had to make a run on his scooter to another vendor shop and said he could drop me off over there.  As crazy as it was, I took my chance and got on board.  I couldn't pass this up since he did know his way around after all.  I definitely enjoyed my ride over there! 

Sure enough the line was super long.  I told my new friend I was going to wait it out.  He had invited me to go to the spa/gym with him but I told him I really wanted to see her house.  We made plans to have drinks the next day.  Luckily I found other Americans waiting in line, too.  One was a young woman studying in Paris.  She was from Wisconsin and her name was Claire.  There was an older couple celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary.  Their names were Suzy and I forgot her husband's name.  He was more quieter than his wife.  She was a teacher in Texas.  We waited 2 hours to get in.  The weather changed drastically and it got very cold and windy but we were determined to stick it through.  We got a chance to get to know one another since we were from all parts of the States.

Eventually we got in and it was very emotional for Claire.  She was very home sick being away from her family.  I'm glad I spent this time with them.

We closed the place down at 7pm and we all said our goodbyes.  My phone was dying.  I wanted to catch a cab back to my hotel.  I accidentally walked inside a weed cafe to look for wifi.  I left right away and luckily found a cab.  It's definitely not my cup of tea but at least I can't say I didn't visit  one!  

Once I got back to my hotel I started to get ready slowly.  I was tired but I wanted to go out and experience some nightlife.  I also had to take care of the hotel stay.  I asked the front desk if I could stay another evening and not check out in the morning.  Originally I had booked for 2 nights.  We arranged another night but trust me, it was pricey.  

I took an uber to sky lounge.  That place was really happening!  I met some guys in the elevator on our way up and they invited me to their table.  

We were having drinks and enjoying each other's company.  I liked the place but they wanted to go somewhere else.  I didn't want to leave just yet because I really liked the place.  I ended up staying behind.  

I hung out at the bar for a bit, asking the bartenders where I should go for some dance music.  I was getting tired but was trying to do my best to stay out longer.  Another group of guys walked in and were asking the same questions at the bar.  They just flew in from Sweden and after a brief introduction, they too, invited me to their table.  We chatted for a bit but then one of them got a message on their phone and they suddenly left.  That was my cue to leave as well.  I had tried my best to stay out as late as I could but having a full day had finally worn me down.