The Boboli Gardens right when you walk in.

Boboli Gardens: This park is home to a collection of sculptures dating from the 16^th to 18^th centuries. When visiting this park, I roamed around for about 3 hours in the gardens. There is SO much to see. In all different parts of the parks you come across many different pieces of art, flowers, trees, and many beautiful views. There are many hills and secret passageways that you can end up anywhere!

The famous “John Travolta” pasta.

Il Profeta: This is one of my favorite restaurants here in Florence. I was recommended to try the Travolta pasta by a friend who ate there before. This is hands down my favorite dish in Florence. The pasta is named after John Travolta because of how much he loved it. The sauce is so rich but has a secret ingredient that the chef will not release. They have some of the best desserts in town here as well.

The Leather Market during the day.

Leather Market: One of my favorites is the leather market by San Lorezno. Here you can find good gifts, like wallets, bags, soccer jerseys, and a lot more cool stuff. Bargaining is key in the leather market, although sometimes it does take a while! My favorite shop in the leather market is called Massimo, they have great bags off all designers as well as nice leather jackets. This is a “must visit” for many girls studying abroad.

A view from the top!

Piazzale San Michaelangelo: Since the first time visiting this spot, I love walking up here whenever I get the chance. This spot gives the best view of the entire city. It’s nice just to take a walk up here in the nice weather, or watch the sunset. Walking up about 100 steps to get there also gets in a nice work out before reaching the top. Many people sit on the stairs on top of the Michaelangelo and enjoy the view in front of them.

Piazza Della Repubblica: This is a gorgeous place to sit outside. There are a few outside lunch places as well as dinner spots in tents surrounding the carousel. I consider this location to be one of the centers of the city in my perspective. It’s located right around the same area as the Duomo, which makes it easy to travel wherever you need to go. A carousel ride is a must before your time in Florence is up.

Ponte Vecchio: Running alongside the Ponte Vecchio is my favorite pastime. It’s so calming and the view from the river is great. There are also vendors along the river that sell cool stuff like jewelry, paintings, etc. Here you can find many locals and tourists looking at the river, tanning, running, or just passing by.

The Stadium at a night game ACF Fiorentina vs Juventus FC

Stadio Artemio Franchi: Home of the ACF Fiorentina, the soccer game I went to was so much fun. The block walking to the stadium was filled with restaurant vendors and people selling team apparel. The fans in the stadium were crazy and spirited the whole game.  You have to arrive there very early in order to get a good seat, but be prepared to stand the whole time.

A close up of the Duomo

Duomo: The first time I saw the Duomo with my own eyes, I swore it had to be fake. It looks like a building straight of a fairytale book. The architecture is so outstanding, outside as well as inside the building. At night the way the Duomo is lit up makes a beautiful view as you walk past it at night heading home.

La Giostra: Located on Borgo Pinti, this is a really nice restaurant; perfect to take visitors to. The spinach gnocchi, pear and pecorino ravioli are the best dishes I’ve had while eating there. They also have great appetizers. The chairs have fur coverings on them, which make them really comfortable to sit in, and also add a cool vibe to the atmosphere. When you order wine, the waiter or waitress puts on a wine show with the glasses in preparation for the best taste.

Galleria degli Uffizi: The Galleria defli Uffizi is home to the world’s most important Renaissance art. This is one of the most popular museums in Florence so it is a good idea to buy tickets ahead in order to avoid long ticket lines.

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Alexandra is a student at Penn State studying at Florence University of the Arts during the Spring 2014 term.