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Firenze,Firenze

© Roxanne Nelson

Rome may be the eternal city, but I would say that Florence comes in at a close second. In fact, given a choice, I would go to Florence. Yes, the hoards of tourists can be debilitating, especially when it means waiting for hours in line under that fabled Tuscan sun. And since virtually every mainstream travel company includes Florence on its tours, it's easy to get the impression that this isn't the way to experience the "real" Italy.

Well, if you're looking for peasants stamping grapes with their feet, no, you're not going to find it in Florence. But if you look closely, you will find the natives among the tourists, especially in the evening, when they are out for the customary stroll or passeggiata. And it has not been spoiled by its heavy duty promotion or overrun by tourist shops. Florence is still very much an Italian city, the heart of Tuscany, and a great place to spend a day, a week, a month—or the rest of your life (I surely wouldn't mind!).

The Basics Florence is the capital of the region of Tuscany, a region that has become very well publicized in recent years. While it is most well known as the mecca of the Renaissance, its history dates back to about 200 BC, when it was founded as a colony of the Etruscan city of Fiesole, later becoming the Roman Florentia. The city suffered greatly during the great plague of 1348, when half of its population either died or fled, and again during WW II, when it was badly damaged by the defeating Germans who destroyed all of the bridges except for the Ponte Vecchio. Devastation came again in 1966, when massive flooding caused extensive damage to its building and artworks, some of which are still being restored. The city's past residents reads like a Who's Who of Italian history. The ruling Medicis; artists such as Donatello, Brunelleschi, Fra Angelico, Botticelli, da Vinci and Michelangelo; Niccolo Machiavelli, Dante, Galileo Galilei…and so on…the richness of the past has given way to a city that stockpiled with artistic treasures and architectural masterpieces.

To do Florence justice, you need at least a week. Otherwise, your visit will be a maddening frenzy of museum and church hopping, and after a while, all of the masterpieces will blend together. And what often happens who limited time is allowed—all of that time is spent seeing attractions and none out in the city streets. To me, while I love to see art and history, the real attraction of a locale is out in its streets, mingling with the people. And in a city as walkable as Florence, it is a shame to spend all of one's time indoors. On this last trip, I did not go to any museums. Instead, I spent most of my time just walking, sitting at cafes, and writing. I did pop into a few off the beaten path churches, but most of all I relaxed. And with a weak Euro, and a strong dollar, I just couldn't resist a little shopping…