"Glimmering Florence" a Florence Travel Page by acemj

No, I didn't take this picture, but I really like it because it shows Florence literally glowing in the sunlight. How appropriate. Perhaps no other place on earth has such a concentration of famous artwork than Florence. Even when the sun has set and you have left it thousands of miles behind, the city will continue to radiate in your mind; it will shine and glow and sparkle all at once.

The birthplace of the Renaissance continues to maintain its historical place as one of the most important cities in the world of art. It all started as a result of the Medici family whose rule began in the early 15th century and lasted several hundred years. It peaked during the reign of Lorenzo de' Medici between 1449 and 1492, who surrounded himself with the finest artists, poets, philosophers, musicians and architects of the day.

I arrived by train and as soon as I found my way out of the station I was greeted by the magnificent sight of the cupola of the Duomo. After finding my hotel and dropping off my backpack, I walked to the historic center, simply heading toward the Duomo, and was promptly overwhelmed by all of the beauty that is concentrated in such a relatively small area. In fact, one of the best things about Florence is the fact that you can cover most of the city's sights on foot in this one district alone.

Another unforgettable part of any visit to Florence is the Tuscan cuisine. Make sure you try ribollita (a thickened bean-based soup) for primi piatti (first course), bistecca alla fiorentina (a rare Florentine steak) for secondi piatti (main course), and cantucci con vinsanto (biscuits with sweet wine) for dessert. Of course, any great meal should be accompanied by a great wine and I found that ordering the "vino della casa rosso" (house red) seemed to do the trick. If you want to splurge for a more expensive wine, try a Barolo or a Brunello di Montalcino.