First taste of Italy

        There are two things you can find on every corner in Italy: pizza and gelato...I think I’m in love!

        Although our train from Switzerland was delayed, we finally made it to Florence. Our hostel was pretty accommodating; there was a pool, sauna, gym and bar included so that made the stay even better than expected .

        Because we got in a bit later than anticipated, we took a leisurely walk around the city. The first stop was to a local pizza joint down the street. Ryan ordered a prosciutto calzone and I ordered a margarita pizza (I wanted a re-do on my Amsterdam pizza mishap). They were so delectable and had so much flavor that my taste buds were jumping for joy! Pizza from Italy is so fresh and excluded the grease that American pizza seems to contain.

        Next stop...gelato! This Italian ice cream was pure velvety heaven! It was so light and smooth and it melted on my tongue before I even got a chance to consume it. I chose a flavor mixture of tiramisu and biscotti, which was a hard decision to make considering were over a dozen options to pick from.

        Our stroll continued and we found ourselves surrounded by the most beautiful and magnificent structural design ever to reach our eyes, the Piazza Duomo. This church which was built in the 1300’s and was filled with intensity. The intricate detail in the construction was breathtaking. Every inch on the Duomo is covered either in color, statues or both. Green and white marble intertwined the building which greatly magnified the exquisiteness of it.

        As our trek persisted, we heard music in the near distance and our feet followed the sound. It lead us to a vast amount of people sitting on the steps of the Palazzo Vecchio, listening to a live artist entertain them with song. The crowd was not only amongst themselves, but were also bordered with numerous ancient statues from the early Roman times consisting mostly of the nude male figure and exuding angst, religion and empowerment. I felt slightly emotional at this moment. Sweet music was in my ear, history was in my sight, God was in my heart and I was experiencing it all firsthand.