I left Brisbane in August to begin a big adventure overseas. My first stop was Singapore, before a connecting flight to London. I have always enjoyed Changi Airport, with plenty to keep you occupied, from watching a movie to visiting the Butterfly Garden. After landing in London, I passed through customs, caught a train, and made my way to where I was staying for the night. The following day, after a brief walk around central London, I boarded another flight, this time bound for Florence, Italy.
Florence is an interesting city. I first experienced it after dark, arriving at the hostel around 1am. The next day I joined a walking tour with The Fanatics, exploring many of the city’s historic streets and landmarks. Florence has long been considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and walking through the city it is easy to see how art, architecture, and history are woven into everyday life. Later that afternoon we travelled to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower, one of Italy’s most recognisable landmarks. The day ended with watching the sun set over Florence, followed by a walk back down the hill into the city as evening settled in.
The next morning we caught a train to Siena for the Palio di Siena, a horse race held twice each year in the city’s main square. The Palio is a deeply rooted tradition, dating back hundreds of years, and is contested by different neighbourhoods, known as contrade, each with their own colours, symbols, and long-standing rivalries. We arrived early, stopped for lunch, and then made our way to the square to wait for the race. The atmosphere steadily built throughout the day as the crowd gathered. When the race finally began, it unfolded in just over a minute and passed in a blur of speed and energy. After the event concluded, we returned to Florence.
The following day was spent exploring Florence once more. After a great dinner, we turned in early, ready to catch the train the next morning for Cinque Terre.
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