The Outskirts of Florence

­ On Saturday, my roommates and I woke up to no rain! This was a big deal considering its been raining every day since we've arrived. So we decided to take the short trip to the little town of Fiesole. 

This town is a perfect place for two things, the escape from massive amounts of tourists and the breathtaking view of Florence. It’s just a short 20 min bus ride up the hill to the magical countryside. Simple and worth the €1,20 bus ticket.

The bus ride itself was quick and extremely beautiful. Finding the bus on the other hand was a whole other experience. Let’s just say it took us quite some time trying to locate where at the train station you are supposed to purchase bus tickets, and then where we to even find this bus. After wandering aimlessly for longer than we anticipated, we finally found it!

Hint: The bus to Fiesole isn’t by the train station. It departs from the Piazza San Marco, about a 10-15 minute walk from where we bought our tickets at the station. We apparently didn’t do our research before leaving, but thankfully we were pointed in the right direction by a kind British man, and a hotel concierge.

Finally settled on the bus, the ride from Florence to Fiesole led us up a winding road providing us breathtaking Tuscan views with each curve of the road. When you finally get the chance to stop and stare out to the view before you, your mouth will probably drop as you take in all of Florence spread out before you. Gorgeous villas dotting the hillside, a Tuscan country feel and a bird’s eye view of Florence made this trip so worth the trouble and confusion we had experienced earlier that day.

When travellers are looking to come to Italy the first on their mind is most likely Florence, Rome, Venice, and Milan. So far, I have fallen in love with Florence, but it can be easy to forget that towns outside of the major cities exist and are also just as beautiful. Fiesole is most definitely one of them!