Waking up knowing that today was a free day had to be the best feeling. You forget how much you appreciate sleeping in until you are able to, however my body seems to be used to functioning on little sleep.
Shopping was on the agenda today, but first, we were in search of coffee. We came across a cafe called ITIT that actually served iced coffee. It was even on the menu! (For those who don’t know, Italians do not like to put ice in their coffee, and that is yet another way for them to pick out tourists.) I had the best iced cinnamon cappuccino, and I swear I downed it in less than 10 minutes.
We experienced an Italian H&M, several shoe stores, Italian boutiques, and leather stores. It was so interesting to spot the differences in style. There were several shirts I tried on that looked great until I looked at the sleeves. They were extremely puffy and flowy, and while they may be the style here, I don’t know how that would look back home.
Leather was very interesting to observe, as so many people are selling “real leather.” Matteo had told us to watch out for pricing and extreme discounts, because that was most likely a sign the leather was fake.
After our shopping excursion, relaxation was key. Our hostel had a rooftop deck that had a nice view of the surrounding area. We sat up there enjoying the fresh air and working on our blogs until we planned our next move of the day.
Haley had mentioned another coffee shop and restaurant that I had to try out- Le Manegerie. It was easily the cutest shop I had seen in Florence (and even Italy) so far. It was trendy with its posters and signs, and flowers decorated the tables and shelves. I picked up a blueberry fruit tart as a snack and an almond cappuccino. The blueberries on the tart were so fresh- it tasted nothing like an American pastry. My almond cappuccino tasted exactly like a burnt almond torte from Prantl’s. It was incredibly sweet, which made it hard to finish, but it was another great drink purchase.
A short walk later we ended up at the restaurant we wanted to try- Il Latini. It is well known for its meats and huge 2 lb steaks. It was obviously well known as there was a huge crowd surrounding the door whenever we arrived. We’re unsure if this is just because it is so popular or because it was Mother’s Day. Anywho, Emma pushed to the front of the crowd and was able to get us in pretty quickly from the time we arrived.
If you would have asked my table, this was easily up there in the ranks of meals. Four of my friends split the steak and could not stop raving, and I have to admit my stewed beef in tomato sauce was fantastic. I’m not a huge meat person, but I easily cleaned my plate.
The night ended in the Florence Irish Pub across the street from our hostel. Contradictory right? Wait till I tell you that I had a Moscow mule. It was a great end to the night in Florence, we all sat around chatting and eventually Matteo joined us and taught us more Italian slang and history. We leave bright and early for a day trip to Venice tomorrow- it’s going to a busy day!