June 12: Florence

We took the 11:26 am train from Venice and arrived in Florence at about 2:00 pm. We dragged our bags for the 20-minute walk to the YellowSquare Hostel. We couldn’t check in until 3:00 — the lady at the front desk was nice enough even though she told us that we were too old for this accommodation. They usually didn’t book reservations for people over 45! Yikes — we're way too old for this place!

After checking into our 4-person co-ed room, we went out to eat at an outstanding steak restaurant called Trattoria Dall’Oste. The food was awesome, which included a delicious antipasto with a variety of cured meats, cheeses, and bruschetta. The huge T-bone steak was a perfectly cooked medium rare — probably the best steak that I've ever eaten.

After strolling around the city, we made a stop at the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, one of the oldest pharmacies in the world, dating back to 1221. The elegant rooms, filled with the scent of herbs and flowers, were like stepping back in time — a really unique blend of history and fragrance.

Then we headed up to Piazza Michelangelo for sunset. We weren’t the only ones with that idea, as thousands of other tourists jammed the boardwalk to get the perfect picture.

Next, we took the 45-minute walk back to our hostel, walking along the river for more stunning views and listening to live music on the Ponte Vecchio bridge.