Florence - Day 1

It been a few months since I've been able to post, but rest assured, I have quite a bit of material to cover in the near future. That's because last month I was able to travel internationally for the first time in almost a decade, spending a fantastic week and a half in the Tuscany region of Italy with my wife and parents. This post will be the first of many detailing some of the amazing locations we were able to visit and the images I captured along the way.

Our journey began in Florence, after arriving on a short connecting flight from Rome. We were able to stay in a beautiful apartment in the heart of downtown only a few blocks from many well-known locations.

Florence, Tuscany, Italy | Reid Burchell Photography

Easily one of my favorite aspects of being in Florence was simply meandering around the streets taking in the sights (...and stumbling upon some great brews from the Brew Dog Craft Beer Bar). The historic architecture, vibrant storefronts, and the wide variety of people of different ages and cultural backgrounds made for ample street photo opportunities.

 
 

We made it to many of the main attractions during our time in Florence, and on the first day we did get the chance to visit both the Piazza della Signoria and the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore.

The Piazza della Signoria (which is overlooked by the Palazzo Vecchio) was on our way to many other locations, so we often found ourselves walking though several times during the day. The piazza was always a bustle of activity, between locals traveling through, people eating lunch, and plenty of other tourists like ourselves gawking at the sights.

Modern Sculpture in the Piazza

Palazzo Vecchio Façade with a Replica of Michaelangelo's David

The Duomo (the Italian word for a cathedral church) was was certainly as impressive as advertised. Both the exterior and interior were unlike any church I'd ever been in, with the level of detail a clear indication of the amount of time and effort that must have gone into making it the crown jewel of the city.

Exterior of the Florence Cathedral

Interior Dome of the Florence Cathedral

That's it for the first day of the trip. Check back in soon for more posts!

For other posts in my Italy series, see below:

Italy 2016
Civita di Bagnoregio
Civita di Bagnoregio

The last major location we visited on our trip was the town of Civita di Bagnoregio, about 10-15 km. south of Orvieto. The town is truly impressive, sitting atop a rock outcrop that overlooks the surrounding countryside.

Orvieto
Orvieto

On the penultimate day of our trip, we made a longer excursion to see two locations a bit farther away from our lodgings. The first stop was Orvieto, a city in the Umbria region southeast of Tuscany.

Montepulciano
Montepulciano

One of the last larger towns in near proximity to our lodging (i.e. within about 30 minutes) was Montepulciano. Marcello, the son of family that owned the agriturismo where we stayed, specifically recommended we stop by as it was one of his favorite places to visit for a evening away from home.

Montalcino
Montalcino

After our day long excursion to Siena, we returned to taking shorter trips to other local hill towns. Montalcino was next on our list, famously know worldwide for its Brunello wine, and like most of the other ancient settlements in the region, stems from Etruscan origins. The town has been known for its high-quality leather products since the medieval times, with many tanneries and cobbler shops still lining the streets.

Siena
Siena

After our stop at the Abbey, we continued north towards Siena. As with just about every other place we visited, the architecture of the primary landmarks did not dissappoint. The Siena Cathedral is at the heart of the city, dating back almost 800 years.

Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore
Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore

This a short post about a abbey we visited early in the morning during our drive to Siena. The Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore, located about 5 miles northeast of Buonconvento, dates back to the 13th century.

San Quirico d'Orcia and Pienza
San Quirico d'Orcia and Pienza

After our first night at our new lodgings, we ventured out to some of the nearby hill towns to explore what the local communities had to offer. Our first stop was at the Town of San Quirico d'Orcia, about 20 kilometers southeast of Buonconvento, which dates back to around 700 AD. The town's fortified walls still stand, intended to protect its citizens from invasion over the centuries.

Agriturismo Podere Cunina - Timelapses
Agriturismo Podere Cunina - Timelapses

A quick follow up to yesterday's post with a few timelapses I took of the countryside while staying at Podere Cunina. These were all taken on an iPhone 6.

Agriturismo Podere Cunina
Agriturismo Podere Cunina

We left San Gimignano in the late afternoon headed for our lodging further south near Buonconvento. The apartment we stayed in was one of several in an old farmhouse that had been repurposed for tourists while still serving as an operational farm.

San Gimignano
San Gimignano

We picked up a rental car at the Florence airport and headed out of the city bound for our apartment rental further south about halfway between Florence and Siena.

Florence - Day 3
Florence - Day 3

Our last day in Florence began with a trip back to the Palazzo Vecchio (the town hall of the city), this time to tour the inside of the historic building.

Florence, Tuscany, Italy | Reid Burchell Photography
Florence - Day 2

Our second day in Florence woke up early to go on an amazing food tour put on by Taste Florence. We met at La Norcineria, and old-school grocery and prosciutteria located a few blocks from the train station.