As I arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, I was consumed with excitement. The American Airlines flight headed to Rome, Italy was on time and ready to board at 2:30 pm. After a delicious cup of an over-priced airport coffee, I was ready to see the world. As we arrive at the Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport, we immediately boarded the high-speed train headed for Firenze, Italia. After about 90 minutes, I arrived. After I checked in at Hotel Mediterrano, I experienced another breathtaking view from my balcony. The first thing I noticed was the amazing landscape of this historic town as Brunelleschi’s Duomo dominated the skyline of Florence. I knew I had to go out and see Florence. Without even unpacking, I took my leather messenger bag and started walking towards the Uffizi Square.
As I passed through the Florence Army base, Hotel Ritz and tons and tons of Gelato shops, I finally made it to Uffizi Square. The square, surrounded by mammoth statues of David and mythological heroes, was probably the busiest area of Florence. It was a place where one can spend hours and hours just sitting and relaxing. Later that night, it turned out that an outdoor musical performance was about to take place with a grand piano in front of the governor’s office. 
The next day, after a scenic run through a mountain at 5:30am, I witnessed one of the most beautiful sunrises ever. The view from the mountain overlooking Florence was profoundly surreal and astonishing. The first thing on the To Do list was to eat Gelato and it turned out that we were in town for the Grand Gelato Festival in Firenze. This hybrid between ice cream and smoothie tasted absolutely phenomenal as it easily melts into one’s mouth causing an instant refreshing sensation in the hot Florence weather.
Florence is known for the towering dome of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (St. Mary’s Basilica of Florence); therefore, a few of us decided to climb the Duomo. After 430 flights of stairs and a few hundred feet, we reached the summit of the tallest architectural marvel in Florence. Now, for this view I will let the picture speak its thousand words…
