Buongiorno!

I’m in Florence! United Airlines managed to get me here 18 hours after I left home. All of my flights except the codeshare with Lufthansa were definitely United’s B team. How hard would it have been to smile once? It was so noticeable that even I noticed, and I normally don’t care because this is Point A to Point B, not a social gathering. However, my flights were on-time-ish, there were no tuna fish sandwiches or children under the age of five seated anywhere near me (sorry, parents and little ones), and my bag landed in Florence with me. What more could I possibly ask for? Truthfully, not much! More sleep would have been nice, but I managed to get 30 minutes to an hour every once in a while. I brought this BCOZZY neck pillow, and it was a game changer! The regular neck pillows don’t support your chin, and the suggestion to just turn them backward makes it a choker. But, this dude was just the ticket!

I chose to fly into Florence, not Pisa, with a connection through Munich. I cleared passport control in Munich (10 minutes) and walked right through the green Nothing to Declare lane in Florence after getting my bags (10 minutes). The Florence airport is smaller than my hometown airport. These were probably the easiest international airports I’ve ever navigated. I wouldn’t hesitate to connect in Munich again.

I took a taxi to my apartment. The taxi was a minivan decorated in too many military ammunition cans and plastic roses. I was too scared to get photo evidence. I’m not sure how I felt, but I was happy to pay 27 euros and get out one block from my apartment.

The apartment owner’s assistant met me at the apartment and carried my bag up the three flights of narrow, stone stairs (ancient Italy). I knew there was no elevator, and the stairs aren’t that bad now, but I nearly died the first time I climbed them. The apartment is exactly as pictured! It’s beautiful, modern, and perfect for me. The location is superb. All those months of searching paid off. The owner has called twice to check in and give suggestions of restaurants and tips about the apartment.

Once settled in the apartment, I sought out the Conrad supermarket to stock my fridge (the real necessity was wine). It’s like Kroger at home but with fancy Italian food that tastes so much better. I had previously read on the blog Italy Explained to bring a grocery bag, so I was all set to lug my haul back to the apartment. I bought sustenance for the week, went back to the apartment, and collapsed.

More Florence sights, food, and more food coming up…