My second day in Firenze began spectacularly with my visit to the Palazzo Pitti – former royal residence – and the Palatine Gallery it now hosts. What a sensual overload! All the paintings, the sculptures, the murals, the gold – after a while, I really had trouble processing all the input and the first thing I did after leaving the museum was go on a little calming walk. Got myself a Pizza which I ate sitting on a Piazza observing locals and tourists mingling, doing everyday things, such as fighting pigeons, and taking selfies.
Next thing on my list: S. Lorenzo. Dating back to 393, it’s the Medici church where all important family members are buried. It looks pretty dull from the outside, but I loved its classy white inside. Yet my favorite experience here was this wonderful orange tree in the geometrically shaped, perfectly symmetrical courtyard. 
Then I headed to the Palazzo Medici Ricardi which, for Florentine standards and compared to what I had already seen, wasn’t very impressing. It was pretty and tranquil, but I soon left for something more exciting: Ice cream! This time, I chose “Perche No!” (Why not) and enjoyed some wonderful Apple Pie and Vanilla. Continued my tour around town and decided to buy a little painting on the street for my Mum’s collection. Ended up realizing that I need to improve my more decisive Italian vocabulary in order to improve my Italian bargaining skills – I was far too nice!
Ended my day buying some take away dinner at a bar. The owner, an old super Italian man, then gave me desert for free! Yummyyyy! At home, sharing my prey with my host’s flatmate, I learned quite a lot about Italian food. For example, I learned that Florentine bread is completely unsalted! It’s definitely unusual at first, but you get used to it pretty quickly and it does make you taste whatever you’re eating it with much better.
Clara in Milan 