A long-awaited stay in Rome and Florence.

The last week of the trip through Italy was mainly dedicated to explore Rome, a city that I wanted to visit for a very long time, as well as Florence.

The famous fountains and squares, the Palatine hill, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, the Colosseum, St. Peter's Basilica... Phew! The list of the absolute must-sees in Rome could go on and on. It's hard not to get frustrated because of tons of places to visit and the inability to do it all during only two days. Then there are the countless, beautiful churches and magnificent monuments, located literally on every street corner. Unfortunately, with all these, no time was left to visit the Vatican…

Luckily, I had enough time to go to the lovely Travestere district, located a little bit outside of the city center. Cafes and restaurants overgrown with lush greenery and flowers, peaceful atmosphere, colorful buildings - sometimes it’s good to let go of some typical tourist attractions, just to sit down calmly and without haste, sip a coffee, talk to the locals.

Meanwhile in Florence the matter was simpler and there were less dilemmas about where to go and what to see, since the city is smaller and in two or three days you can see everything without being too much in a hurry.

And believe me, there are lots of places to visit. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore will knock you out with both the size and extremely impressive architectural details. When in Florence start your tour very early in the morning. In that way you will avoid dealing with swelter and crowds of people. At the same time it’s the moment of the day when the light conditions are the best for a photo shooting. Around 6 am you will meet mostly nuns going for the morning mass and, from time to time, cyclists.

During the day it’s impossible not to go to the Uffizi Gallery. Nearby you can admire the overwhelming Palazzo Vecchio.

Getting to know Florence can’t be fully accomplished without going to the other side of the Arno river by crossing the famous Ponte Vecchio for example. It’s very clode to the Santo Spirito church and the nearby square, bearing the same name. The place is full of life and good vibes that it’s definitely worth spending at least one evening there, while sipping a spritz and soaking up the unique atmosphere of this place.

After a little more than two weeks the Italian adventure is finally coming to an end as I’m on my way home to Paris. The question is, for how long...