While Semana Santa, Spain’s Holy Week, ended on Monday, Mallorca had given students time off into the end of this week and given I work in a school, I also had the week off. Which could only mean one thing- another opportunity to travel! Let’s be honest here, any chance to travel I take.
Simone and I both found that the idea of going to Italy was a country we could easily agree on. Not that there’s much one could disagree about when it comes to traveling with a best friend; any place we would have decided on would have been enjoyable. But the Tuscany region it was and because it was easier (err cheaper) to fly into Milan, the fashion capital of Italy also became apart of our itinerary.
Our time in the magical land of pasta and pizza and cappuccinos was spent wandering and wining and dining. The architecture throughout was stunning and it seemed that each Duomo we happened upon was better than the last, as were the new flavors of gelato we elected to try each evening. We gave it our best go at speaking Italian (the few phrases I had from my time in Roma years ago were difficult to call upon), but there’s nothing like using hand gestures to make one feel a bit like an Italian. That, and making sure we had our share of aperol spritz and carbohydrates.
The Milan Duomo, which would have been our first impression of the city had we not met our bed & breakfast host, Giovanni, who greeted us in the warmest Italian manner. 
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, which is a high-end shopping mall. 
The Sforza Castle.
This structure reminded me of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
Due to the holiday weekend and our last-minute purchasing of tickets, we found ourselves in business class and for an hour and forty minutes it was fun to pretend that we actually could afford such a luxurious way of traveling.
Some real Italian food; ravioli and eggplant parmesan. Can I go back yet?
The Duomo of Florence. I think what stuns me most is just the detail throughout. The exterior is certainly more stunning than the interior, and I can only imagine the views from atop of the cupola.
Not sure where they were cows decked in flower crowns, but we loved it all the same.
The Ponto Vecchio bridge behind us and seen below. It was jam-packed full of people, and for good reason, the views on both sides were beautiful.
Those purple flowers get me every time.
Our climb to Piazzale Michelangelo took us into a little garden, which smelled heavenly.
Michelangelo in all his glory, and as Simone was told, the perfect man in that he is uber handsome but doesn’t say a word. 
Calzones on the curb for lunch, does it get better than this?
Flroence is known for cantucci, which is basically a biscotti. Delicious, but it doesn’t come close to gelato. Our airb&b was located across the street from one of Florence’s best gelato shops and you can bet we found ourselves there multiple times throughout our stay. The dark chocolate and nutella combination was my favorite. 
Everyday we passed the Duomo, it just seems to be a very central part of the city no matter where one is headed.
The yellow buildings, the vines, the blue skies. I couldn’t get enough. So similar to my views on the island, yet different in its own right.
A sunset we caught one evening, proving yet again just how bellissima Italia really is.
Traveling Mercies 