The Beauty of Florence ✔

Seventeen

I was greeted with a spacious and a ceramic tiled unit at Uncle Peter's apartment that is located near Ponte Vecchio.

A bellboy or fattorino in Italian helped me carry my luggages into my room.

My room was located at the far end of the fifth floor of this seven-story apartment.

It has a perfect, breathtaking view of the Ponte Vecchio.

Oh, if you are wondering what Ponte Vechio is, it is a medieval stone-closed spandrel segmental arch-bridge over the Arno River here  in Florence, Italy. (Reference: Wikipedia)

This is not just an apartment!

I thanked the bellboy and closed the door before I basked in the amazing room in front of me.

This is definitely Italian-living at its absolute finest!

The unit has a flat-screen 40' television and a marble-tiled flooring giving it an expensive look.

The living area was adorned with posh wintery white wall. Its aesthetic appeal was so pleasant to the eyes.

As my eyes roamed around the area,  my glance rested on the kitchen and dining area.

The kitchen was splendid and I couldn't help but smile widely.

It has a porcelain-tiled flooring and is painted with high-gloss paint.
Kitchen counter-tops perfectly matched the posh and polished tone of the unit.

As I advanced towards the bedroom, I was furthermore stunned at the beautiful sight of a comfortable and inviting bed mattress.

The bedroom has this minimalistic contemporary style. Glass windows were situated on the left side where the balcony was placed. A perfect view of the Arno River, Ponte Vecchio as well as the busy streets of Florence can be seen from it.

After a thorough time of checking the room and the bathroom, I decided to start unpacking and pulled out all my essentials like laptop and chargers.

The beautiful unit was a lot to take in so I made sure that I was able to snap photos of every corner of the unit and send them all to my parents.

I'm sure they will love it! Both are suckers for anything comfortable and anything related to travel!

It took me two to three hoursd to unpack and arrange my things in the wardrobe cabinet and all my toiletries in the bathroom.

I made sure to check everything before I took a nap which became hours of sleep as I woke up to the dark, night sky at the balcony.

I sighed dreamily as my eyes rested on the famous Ponte Vecchio and suddenly, my stomach growled in hunger.

I immediately got my phone and wallet together with my room keys before I put on my coat.

I was about to head off when I realized I still  am unfamiliar with the nearest restaurants and convenient stores here.

Thankfully, a brochure and a map were placed on top of the center table and I quickly opened it.

I got excited when I saw Gucci Cafe and Restaurant on the nearest restaurants here.

I automatically checked my coat again if I have my essentials before I head out to the lobby.

I asked the receptionist on how I can get there and she told me that it's only a walking distance from here. I thanked her and slid my hands on my coat's pockets.
I walked out to the exit and followed her directions.

Soon, the sweet aroma of coffee and the clinking sounds of utensils welcomed me.

An Italian local assisted me to a vacant table and handed me the menu.

"Posso prendere il suo ordine, signora? (May I take your order, Ma'am?)" He asked and I blinked. He must have realized my confusion when he asked again, " Oh! English speaking?" I nodded. "My bad! Can I take your order, Ma'am?" He asked and smiled shyly.

I sighed in relief and told him my orders. He took note of it and said to wait for fifteen minutes.

While waiting, I rested my chin on my clenched right fist and admired the interiors of the cafe restaurant.

The restaurant has high ceilings and six tables that are widely spaced. It was indeed cozy and homey.

I was still admiring it when a waiter distracted my thoughts and served my order of prawn risotto.

I immediately dig in and the food was just so flavorful. I only had water since I am not in the mood for juice tonight.

When I was almost done with my risotto, I asked the waiter to serve me my dessert which was called as The Forbidden Apple.

And, oh, it was super refreshing and the taste of both the apple and cream were so delightful to my tastebuds!

This is definitely so worth it! From the amazing service down to the foods, I am really starting to love this place!

Definitely will be on top of my list!

As soon as I paid my bill, I went out the restaurant and walked slowly back to the apartment.

I can still see people and youth with their significant others strolling under the moonlight which makes Florence an even romantic and peaceful place.

I sighed and sat on the bench that I saw along the street a couple of blocks away from the apartment.

I began one of my favorite hobbies of people-watching and my forehead creased suddenly when I saw a seemingly familiar guy talking to a lady almost a meter away from my location.

He must have felt my stare when he turned to face me.

Our eyes met and he started to walk towards me.

I gulped in realization and my cheeks felt warm despite the cold breeze of the night.

He sat comfortably next to me and said, "Hello, Signora Florence. How are you?"