Firenze, Italia

Samantha Nudelman
April 28, 2025
The famous dome

Florence is an adorable city filled with delicious food and a lively culture. During my two days there, I covered a lot of ground. Tourism had picked up a bit, so there were lines for some attractions, but everything was well worth the wait. I first visited Giotto’s campanile - the super tall bell tower next to the Duomo. I had pre-purchased the 4-in-1 pass, so this was included with my Duomo ticket. There were many stairs and tight corners, but the views were incredible. I had lucked out with the weather, too - it was 70 and sunny, which made it extra beautiful. After the bell tower, I visited the baptistery, the cathedral, and the Duomo museum. All of the architecture is stunning, and the art inside these buildings is gorgeous. Climbing the Duomo was pretty tiring, but so worth it for the views. The roof of the dome itself has amazing art with incredible details.

On my second day, I visited the Uffizi galleries (where I saw The Birth of Venus!), the Pitti Palace, and the Boboli Gardens. I wish I had designated more time for the Palace and the gardens because I really enjoyed them, but I was rushing to get to my pasta cooking class! During this class, we learned how to make pasta from scratch - how to roll it out, shape it, and then we got to enjoy it! We also made tiramisu, which was so delicious.

During my two days in Florence, I ate so much pizza, pasta, and gelato. My favorite pizza place was Gustapizza, although there is a long wait most of the time. My favorite gelato place was called Gelateria della Passera, and I would highly recommend trying the pistachio!

I loved experiencing the rich culture and delicious meals in Florence. Also, on my way home, I stopped in Pisa to see the Leaning Tower! It was a super easy train ride, and so cool to see the tower in person.

The Sounds of Florence vlog: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jxwwuyLf7Gs

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Samantha Nudelman

Hi, I’m Samantha! I’m from Boulder, Colorado, and now I’m a junior at UC Berkeley. I love the outdoors, staying active, all kinds of animals, live music, traveling, yummy food, hiking, and sightseeing! I’m also fluent in English and Spanish!

Destination:
Term:
2025 Spring
Home University:
University of California - Berkeley
Major:
Engineering - Biomedical/Medical
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