First night in Florence

We've had a great first day in Italy! Amanda and Kevin were waiting for us just outside of customs when we arrived, at which point the four of us grabbed the train to the main Rome train Termini! After enjoying the Italo lounge we grabbed the high speed rail to Florence.

Our hotel is stunning, right in the heart of Florence, Helvetica & Bristol. We settled in and enjoyed a complementary bottle of Veneto sparkling for our anniversary before heading out to drinks and dinner.

On our way we happened across the Christmas parade and watched the tree lighting, a perfect welcome for our first night in Florence. We had some time to kill before our 830pm dinner (Italians eat so late!). Amanda and I opted for the espresso martini to perk up, while the guys went for negroni rifts.

Dinner was at Gune - a favorite Igor and I happened upon in 2021 when we were here last! It's a very welcoming fine dining establishment and offers a cocktail pairing, super fun. We showed great restraint and went with the middle option, with 5 courses, with Amanda and I going the traditional wine pairing, and Igor and Kevin going cocktails. The whole meal was delicious, I super loved the wild boar risotto and wild mackerel courses, Igors fav was the beef cheek.

A great start to the trip!Read more