First day in Florence

Getting on the train here was quite an experience! I went to the station and they had a screen showing all the trains and which gate (not sure what the right word is) they were at. My train was at 12:10 and they didn’t assign a gate until 12:07! I ran there, couldn’t figure out how to get into the gate because they wanted me to scan a barcode, which I never got. Once on the train a family was sitting in my spot and they only spoke French, I was trying to tell them I could switch with them so they wouldn’t have to split up but it was not getting past the language barrier. Fortunately someone else came over to translate and resolved the issue. From then it was a quick and smooth ride to Florence!
So far I’ve just been walking around the city, it is very pretty, and much much smaller than Rome. I walked around the whole touristy area in about an hour. I also explored some residential areas which were nice and quiet. There are lots of fancy shops here selling jewelry, gold, antiques and designer clothes. I bought a new wallet at an outdoor market. There is a river right through the center and the views on the bridges are amazing. The hostel is also way nicer than the one I was at in Rome. I am excited to explore the city more over the next few days!Read more