Home sweet Firenze. The were a few sweet spots for me in Florence and Piazzalle Michelangelo was for sure one of them. The day I took this photograph I walked up to Piazzale from the city center, in the middle of the day, and headed straight back to the secret forest. There I laid, between the sun and the shade, amongst the rows of Cypress trees and made this daisy chain. It was perfect weather for a light sweater and my sunglasses. The sun started to set perfectly as the afternoon took a turn and unfocused as I took this shot. It's not secret by any means, Piazzale Michelangelo is the place to really see Florence for its beauty.

Near the Ponte Vecchio, I came across a chain covered with padlocks that had couples names written on them. After further research, I read that after the lock is secured, the key is tossed into the Arno river in hopes of getting a lock on love.

I completely stumbled upon this gorgeous library in Florence on accident while wandering around the city by myself. It's about a 3 Euro entrance fee but being a book lover, there are few things more impressive than a reading library designed by Michelangelo himself. Equally impressive is the collection of handwritten books from the 15th century( some earlier!) housed in the museum on the other end.

Piazza di Santa Croce is a place for old friends, new friends, romance in the form of true love and puppy love, the old and the young. There is a bench for every type. There is a time a day, where the sun shines just right, to make Santa Croce the right place to be. Rendezvous here and it will always be your sweet spot.

Have you ever wanted to rent an apartment in Italy, but just didn't have the money or the time? Without looking, we landed in just the place. This was the view from the street of our hotel room in Florence. On our quick Rome, Florence, Venice hop through Italy, we were lucky to land this fabulous hotel room. We seriously felt like we had an apartment in Florence for three days. What gave it that apartment feel? The beautiful balcony adorned with gorgeous overflowing flower boxes. We later discovered it was the only balcony on the street side of the hotel and the only balcony on the block. How did Paul and I get so lucky? We’ll never know. Due to the large door underneath our balcony, I think the people at the hotel across the street actually thought this was our apartment in Florence. But in reality, it was our standard double room at the Hotel Rivoli, owned by the Best Western brand of hotels. Yes, you read that right. This, my friends, was a Best Western.

Climbing the tower next to the Duomo, I came across this beautiful window that provided a perfect picture frame for the Duomo's colorful facade. May is a wonderful time to visit Florence - great weather, few tourists, and good deals on hotels and airfare.

It's easy to feel small in Italy - big and opulent churches, big and vibrant people. Rich in culture, noted museums and Tuscan cuisine (and tourists), Florence is a place that can overwhelm you quickly. But there are quiet moments like this one, taken early in the morning, that catch you off guard make you feel small, but important and connected to something bigger.

While visiting Florence in May, my husband and I made the trek to the Piazzale Michelangelo for a panoramic view of the city. We wandered around a bit to try to find a quieter place from which to enjoy the view of Florence and came upon this particularly breathtaking view of the Duomo, set off so beautifully by two trees.

And by painting anywhere, I mean everywhere! Since driving has essentially become illegal in the center part of Firenze (aside Vespas), artists and aspiring artists often display their work on the streets - LITERALLY...

Standing in the Piazza Santa Croce, where a statue of Dante looms from the corner. Florence, where Durante degli Alighieri's journey through hell, purgatory and paradise was to begin but not end. In 1829 a tomb was built for him in the basilica of Santa Croce. The tomb has remained empty ever since as his body remains in Ravenna.

An abundance of homemade food prepared by a woman who spoke no English; exploring the city on foot; learning metalworking in a local studio; learning about art on Monday and seeing it in person on Wednesday; table wine (Spring 2004)

Details in the walls surrounding Piazza Santa Croce. It Sommo Poeta (The Supreme Poet) has evoked an awful sense of reverence for centuries through his masterpiece La divina commedia (The Divine Comedy). Originally called Commedia by Dante (and later elaborated to Divina by Boccaccios) is a peculiar title for such a serious work, especially within the modern understanding of the word comedy. Yet as Dante himself wrote in a letter " the progression of the pilgrimage from Hell to Paradise is the paradigmatic expression of comedy, since the work begins with the pilgrims moral confusion and ends with the vision of God".

This is the ceiling of the beautiful tower next to the Duomo in Florence. We opted to climb this instead of the Duomo itself so we could get a view of the dome. The tower was magnificent - history just seemed to ooze from its every corner, and the view of the Duomo and the city of Florence from the top was unbelievable.

Yes, your bed is right next to your neighbor's window. Yes, she will open the window every morning to hang her laundry. No, you will not ever get a minute of her time to introduce yourself. A room like this is classic in Florence if living in the city center. The rooms that over look the whole city open up to the roof top are the obvious gems but hearing the hustle on the streets below and having a nameless neighbor is a gem all in itself. This was my room while living in Florence. It was my sanctuary. I found it on Craigslist of all places and after a quick trip to IKEA the room was mine. Never know what you will find and how much you will cherish it.

Why should one travel to Italy? For the delicious gelato, of course! When I saw this girl enjoying her gelato I thought I was looking at myself at a younger age. In addition to the fruit and chocolate flavors, there are plenty that are unique, including anise and jasmine. All of them are great!

I saw this exquisite chalk drawing of Leonardo da Vinci's Lady With An Ermine on the ground in one of the main plazas in Firenze. It started drizzling and I just had to take this photo before the rain washed it away!

With gelato shops on every corner and only a couple of hours in Florence, I wanted to make sure wherever we stopped for dessert was well worth it. Online reviews led me to Gelateria dei Neri - and we were not disappointed. Not only was it delicious, but the flavor selections were amazing!

While strolling through one of Florence's many amazing art museums I happened upon this set of stained-glass windows. I couldn't tell which I liked more - the beautiful windows themselves or the rustic building beyond.

When I first saw this guy and a couple of his friends, I had to do a double take. I didn't know, at first glance, that they weren't actual statues. Then I looked closer and realized that he was indeed a real person dressed as one of the many statues that you see all over Italy. He stood very still - eyes closed - and I took a couple of images. I thought it was very cool. And I give him kudos for holding still.