Finding The Charm Of Florence Italy

Turning Your Nose Up At Europe

For those who are custom to adventuring on the other side of the globe, traveling to Western Europe will probably move to the bottom of your bucket list. Known for over-tourism and groups that dominate each museum and street corner, it is easy to see why someone would prefer the rugged mountains of Tajikistan to the cobblestone streets of Italy.

If it’s not the weekend warrior tourists that turn you off from venturing out to the streets of Paris or Rome, it will be the lack of a thrill. The tourist trails in Western Europe have been trodden to death, leaving nothing but 2-bit souvenir shops and overpriced cafes behind them. While there is always a part of a city that is considered off of the beaten path, most of Europe has been overrun by organized groups and tourist traps.

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Being Proven Wrong

Despite the massive tours and the lack of plunging headfirst into the unknown, Europe, and more specifically Florence Italy, is a place which you can’t help but fall in love with. The Italian Renaissance redefined the meaning of art and aesthetic beauty. And at the core of the Renaissance, was Florence. This was a city that housed the workshops of legends such as Michelangelo and was even the birthplace of Leonardo Da Vinci. A man whose work continues to inspire painters and inventors alike.

Sure, you won’t be fighting off crowds in a massive bazaar or see snake charmers on street corners. But the very air in Florence carries a certain quality of inspiration that compels men to build wonders that will marvel future generations. The mere ambiance of the museums truly quiets the soul and has one stop dead in their tracks in view of art which can be described as nothing short as being a masterpiece.

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Walking Through A Fairy Tale

In the busiest piazzas of Italy, you will find the exact thing you have been dreading in Europe. Cheap street magicians and illusionists posing for a couple of Euros, hawkers chasing after your coattails, and musicians that range from being on the verge of making it big and others that are a step away from falling into the gutter. Add on top the lines of sheep-like tourists following a flag poking out from the sea of people like a periscope, and you have what may seem like one of Dante’s 9 circles of hell.

Despite the onslaught of tour groups and cheap amusements, the culture of Europe shines through. As a rule, if you find yourself absolutely hating one of the most beautiful sights in Florence, wake up early in the morning and beat the crowds. The chipping pastel paint of city blocks and the massive ornate towers which turn the Florence skyline into a work of fantasy is a wonder in itself. While it can be enjoyed at any time of the day, it is not until a hush falls over the city that the true spirit of the city comes alive.

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Are You Just Another Tourist?

No matter if you are lost in the vast jungles of the Congo or snapping pictures in Florence, you are a tourist. While some may stare off into the distance and with a pretentious look in their eyes declare themselves “a traveler, not a tourist”, the fact of the matter is that you are visiting the same historical churches and eating the same gelato as everyone else.

There is, however, a distinct difference between those being lead by the nose in tour groups and tourists who are seeking to get lost in a new city. Of course, as long as you are happy and enjoying your time in Florence in a respectful way, no one has the right to turn their nose up to you. Regardless if you are on a 5-day cruise or backpacking your way across Europe.

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Walking In Their Shoes

Part of the difference between these two methods of travel, however, is the ability to break the wall that divides tourists and locals. In a country such as Pakistan, you can feel totally immersed in the local culture. The people are extremely hospitable to the point where they will invite you into their homes and show you what authentic Pakistani life is like.

In a country such as Italy or the United States, it is far more difficult for a traveler to simply be invited into someones home. While wandering the streets of Florence you can feel the history and soul of the city. But the local people definitely steer clear of the tourist hotspots and keep travelers at an arms-length distance. This is not to say that real connections and being given a candid look at local life can not happen, but these are things which a person would have to put extra effort into experiencing.

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Beauty In Everything

Being disappointed is easy. If you build up a destination in your head as being this magical place taken straight from the still of a movie, you will be let down. On the same note, if you psyche yourself out that you will not enjoy a city, you are sure to find everything that is possibly wrong with it. An ancient temple or towering cathedral is famous for a reason. Sometimes it takes quieting oneself and basking in the seemingly mundane to truly appreciate the beauty of a place.

One of the tricks of immersing yourself and finding the art in the ordinary is through photography. Where one would simply spend a few seconds gazing out across the grape fields in Tuscany, a photographer would spend half an hour. A typical city street is suddenly divided into lines, rules of thirds, and symmetry through the lens of a camera.

It doesn’t matter if you are on your first trip abroad or are a seasoned traveler, there is a reason why people from all over the world flock to Europe. It is a continent that is literally drowning in art spanning back to before the Roman Empire. From its religious traditions to modern customs, the blending of both the past and the present is a lesson that countries just now starting to develop can learn from. Regardless of how you are traveling, Florence, like the rest of Europe, is a place that will continue to educate and inspire future generations from across the globe.