🇮🇹 Florence & Pisa — Art, Light, and a City That Feels Painted

Our trip to Italy was a short escape just before the second lockdown — a quiet anniversary trip that turned out to be one of our favourites. We landed in Pisa, the perfect size to explore in half a day. It’s a cheerful little city where everyone is smiling and pretending to hold up the Leaning Tower. We took our own wonky Pisa pictures, wandered through the narrow streets, and had our first espresso of the trip before catching the train to Florence.

The Italian trains are brilliant — clean, easy, and full of views that look straight out of a painting. Rolling hills, small houses, olive trees — everything in that soft, golden light that makes Italy feel instantly romantic.

🎨 Florence — The City of Art Everywhere

Arriving in Florence felt like stepping into a painting. My husband showed me places he had visited years ago, and it was lovely to see them through both his memories and my eyes. The Baptistery of St. John was absolutely stunning — the architecture and colours green and white had its impact.

Inside the old houses and restaurants, I couldn’t stop looking up. The ceilings were painted, delicate and beautiful, and I kept wondering if they were real frescoes or just made to look that way. We later learned they were original murals, centuries old — and at dinner, we realised we were sitting next to the oldest documented portrait of Dante Alighieri.

🖼️ Uffizi Gallery and the Masters

The highlight for me was visiting the Uffizi Gallery. Seeing Botticelli’s Birth of Venus in person was something I had dreamed of for years. It felt personal — I’ve always loved how the British philosopher Roger Scruton spoke about its beauty and grace. Standing there, I understood exactly what he meant. The model for Botticelli's Venus was Simonetta Cattaneo Vespucci, a noblewoman known as one of the most beautiful women in Florence during the Renaissance.

We also loved Caravaggio’s Medusa, dramatic and wild — a total opposite to Botticelli’s calmness.
The art in Florence follows you everywhere — it’s in the streets, the buildings, even the air.

What fascinated me most was learning about the Medici family, who supported artists like Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci. The idea that one family’s passion for beauty helped shape an entire era of art really stayed with me. It’s a reminder that creativity needs both inspiration and support — and that when art is valued, culture grows around it

🍽️ Food, Light, and Small Moments

We had dinner at Fishing Lab, which became our favourite spot — fresh, simple food, and a relaxed atmosphere. I just found out it might be closed now, which makes me even more grateful we went.
We also ate at Trattoria Mario, a family-run place open since 1st March 1953, still run by the same family. Simple, real, full of life — the kind of meal that feels like home but we left with too full bellies as the portions were so big.

We sat in the sun at Piazza Pitti, watched the world go by, and later ate gelato by the bridge while the sun set over the Arno.
There was a street stall selling hot chestnuts, and I still remember the smell — sweet, smoky, warm.

The parfumeries in Florence were another kind of art — old glass bottles, soft scents, and the kind of detail Italians do so well.

💛 Little Things That Stayed With Me

The mix of gold light and marble.
Painted ceilings and quiet courtyards.
Music in the evenings and the feeling of time standing still.

We went in October, when the air was soft and evenings still warm enough to sit outside.
We brought home small souvenirs — and a leather bag — but the real treasure was how inspired I felt.

Florence reminded me why I make art: because beauty is everywhere, sometimes centuries old, just waiting to be noticed.

🕊️ About this Journey

This trip reminded me how art can outlive everything.
The Medici family became immortal not through power, but through what they gave to art.
They supported artists, dreamers, and thinkers — and by doing so, shaped how we still see beauty today. It makes me think how every creative act, no matter how small, leaves a mark that stay

🗺️ Places We Visited

Pisa – the Leaning Tower and the best espresso to start the trip
Florence – Uffizi Gallery, Baptistery of St. John, Ponte Vecchio
Piazza Pitti – warm afternoons in the sun
Fishing Lab & Trattoria Mario – where meals turned into memories