Florence. Sunrise. Perfect match.
When I backpacked through Europe a few years ago, I got up at dawn nearly every morning to catch the sunrise. But no morning was more perfect than the Sunday morning in Florence. Well, maybe Prague, but that’s a story for another time. Florence really is the best city to catch before all the tourists descend on the famous statues and bridges…and that light…ugh…as a photographer, it was simply perfection!
The Arno.
There is nothing as peaceful as looking out over the Arno - sunrise or sunset. And nothing comes close to describing the moment I took this photo than a quote from my favourite chef, Anthony Bourdain:
“I’m a big believer in winging it. I’m a big believer that you’re never going to find perfect city travel experience or the perfect meal without a constant willingness to experience a bad one. Letting the happy accident happen is what a lot of vacation itineraries miss, I think, and I’m always trying to push people to allow those things to happen rather than stick to some rigid itinerary.”
The Uffizi.
I wrote an essay on the Uffizi for one of my classes in high school. I never thought that I would see it in person. And, although I never actually went inside (it was too early and too expensive for my budget holiday), it was so much better than I could ever imagine. Especially during those early morning hours when it was practically deserted, spare for a few locals going about their morning routine.