All my bags are packed…🛩️
2025年1月15日, アメリカ ⋅ ☀️ 45 °F
The time has finally come to bring Sydney for her study abroad semester in Florence, Italy. She was accepted to Florence University of the Arts where she will take more business classes and travel toもっと詳しく
Lounge Layover in Madrid
2025年1月16日, スペイン ⋅ 🌙 28 °F
Thankfully, our only layover was in Madrid. Good thing we had plenty of time over our 3 hour layover, because the airport is huge, and it was a workout carrying our heavy backpacks. After followingもっと詳しく
Made it to Milan 🇮🇹
2025年1月16日, イタリア ⋅ ⛅ 43 °F
A short 2-hour flight to Milan to meet up with Ellen and Holly. We got all of our bags and braved the Milan Metro. We definitely got our workout lugging our bags through the station.
Arrival and a Milanese Dinner
2025年1月16日, イタリア ⋅ ☀️ 45 °F
After the workout of getting to the Crowne Plaza, we were welcomed with arrival drinks since one of our rooms wasn’t quite ready. Our bartender was a Filipino who has been in Italy for 20 years andもっと詳しく
Milan on Foot
2025年1月16日, イタリア ⋅ 🌙 39 °F
After a filling dinner, we decided to find some of the sites in Milan on foot. We stopped at the fashion area of Via Manzoni, then made our way to Teatro alla Scala, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, Piazzaもっと詳しく
Napiz Milano
2025年1月16日, イタリア ⋅ 🌙 37 °F
Walking all over the streets of Milan in the cold brought on an appetite. Since our first restaurant was technically a late lunch, we decided we needed to get some pizza. 🍕 After a quick search, weもっと詳しく
Scoping the Milano Centrale Stazione
2025年1月17日, イタリア ⋅ ☀️ 37 °F
Attempting to get over the jet lag, we got up at a normal vacation hour and after a European breakfast, we made a dry-run for the Milano Centrale Train Stazione.
We broke down and did some trainもっと詳しく
Brekkie across the street
2025年1月17日, イタリア ⋅ ☀️ 39 °F
We love finding random places to grub and thankfully this gem was across from our hotel. We all had the fresh cornetto with pistachio creme. OMG…deliciousness!!! And these older Italian men…mammaもっと詳しく
Frecciarossa Speed Train to Florence
2025年1月17日, イタリア ⋅ ☀️ 45 °F
We say goodbye to Milan and head to Florence where Sydney will be attending Florence University of the Arts.
Milano Centrale was a short walk from our hotel where we boarded the Frecciarossa speedもっと詳しく
Arriving in Florence
2025年1月17日, イタリア ⋅ 🌙 45 °F
Another luggage trek to the VRBO and thankfully we were on the 1st floor, but they count the ground floor as zero, so we only had to bring our luggage up one flight of stairs.
We are excited to beもっと詳しく
Tiramisu and Pasta Cooking Class
2025年1月17日, イタリア ⋅ 🌙 43 °F
We made it to our tiramisu and pasta making class at IL Cantione with Chef Antonio and were welcomed with Prosecco…which was crisp and unlimited!!! We met our fellow chef students who were fromもっと詳しく
Mangia! Mangia!
2025年1月17日, イタリア ⋅ 🌙 43 °F
Feasting on our handmade creations, spinach and ricotta ravioli and tagliatelle pasta and then our tiramisu for dessert.
After our memorable dinner, we headed to Friends Bar with our new friends andもっと詳しく
463 Steps
2025年1月18日, イタリア ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F
We took on the Duomo Challenge and climbed the narrow, curvy, and steep 463 steps up to the top of the Duomo. Yes, our legs were burning, but totally worth the breathtaking views from the top.
Saturday Shots in the City
2025年1月18日, イタリア ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F
A few pictures from walking the city in between shopping trips. We came across a wine window, the Fiorentino store, as well as all the statues all over Florence.
The best appetites made by shopping
2025年1月18日, イタリア ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F
After the Duomo climb, we hit up Massimo Leather, so I could introduce Holly and Ellen to my friend Massimo who I found 2 years ago when Sydney and I were on our Mediterranean cruise. He was a delightもっと詳しく
Trekking up to Piazzele Michaelangelo
2025年1月19日, イタリア ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F
Sunday morning and Sydney and I went to our first mass in Italy! They only spoke in Latin and Italian, but we were able to follow along. Afterwards, Sydney and Ellen headed off to a Fiorentina futbolもっと詳しく
More walking and a little snack
2025年1月19日, イタリア ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F
After the climb to the Piazzale Michelangelo we headed back down to the city to find a snack. We stumbled across La Buchetta on our way to find the Leather School. Since it was Sunday, it was closed,もっと詳しく
Meal of a Lifetime
2025年1月19日, イタリア ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F
Quite possibly the best dinners ever at Osteria Pastella, about 10 minutes from the VRBO with the pasta cheese wheel. I can’t say enough about this place from the service to the flavorful food!
Ofもっと詳しく
Catching the Sunrise
2025年1月20日, イタリア ⋅ ☁️ 45 °F
Sydney and I got up early to catch a beautiful sunrise over the Ponte Vecchio, found the FUA office, and had a panino and caffè latte from our favorite spot, Brunellesco’s, just on the corner ofもっと詳しく
Piazza del Duomo Building Tours
2025年1月20日, イタリア ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F
The Brunellesci Pass gave us access to all the buildings of the Piazza del Duomo for 3 days. We did the Duomo climb a few days ago, and today decided to do there rest. We had another climb upもっと詳しく
Grubbing on our last day in Firenze
2025年1月20日, イタリア ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F
Massimo recommended a place around the corner from his leather shop, but when we first tried to go, there was a super long line, so we went right when they opened and now know why the line is alwaysもっと詳しく
Le Caprine
2025年1月20日, イタリア ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F
The first stop on the Chianti Wine Tour was at Le Caprine, a family owned goat and olive farm and winery. This place was very rustic and we met Matteo and his brother who shared the history of theirもっと詳しく
Tenuta Torciano Winery
2025年1月20日, イタリア ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F
The next stop was more in the San Gimignano area at a larger family owned winery, Tenuta Torciano. Our guide Lorenzo, shared some of the history as we tasted 3 wines, 3 olive oils, one of which was aもっと詳しく
Bye, bye VRBO…hello San Giorgio
2025年1月21日, イタリア ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F
It’s check-out time as we get Sydney to her Florence apartment for the semester. First stop was the SAI office to get the keys and then off to the apartment, just on the other side of the river.もっと詳しく
Just around the corner
2025年1月21日, イタリア ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F
Within a few minutes walk from the apartment is Sarori & Dintorni which seems to be a nice, higher end grocery store and then at end of the stairway, is Signorvino, an amazing wine store andもっと詳しく



























































































































































































































































































































































































































