Today was a bit of a slow start for us. We both woke up not feeling our best, so we took the opportunity to sleep in and didn’t leave the hotel until around 1 PM. Mornings like these make me wish we had brought a Fire Stick to watch some TV in bed!

When we finally ventured out, we headed straight to All’Antico Vinaio, a famous sandwich spot in Florence. The sandwiches were absolutely massive—and delicious! It was the perfect lunch to kickstart our day.

After lunch, we made our way back to Café Gilli for some espresso and sweet treats. I’ve been loving this spot for our daily caffeine fix, and today was no exception.

Next on my list was something I’d been excited about—visiting the world’s oldest pharmacy, the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. Dating back to 1221, this pharmacy was originally run by monks who experimented with herbs and flowers to create balms and elixirs. Today, it’s a perfumery! The inside was stunning, with displays of old tools from its apothecary days.

Inspired by Jordan’s sister, Caroline, who’s been getting me more into perfumes, I decided to buy a bottle as a keepsake from the trip. I love the idea of having a fragrance that reminds me of a specific adventure.

Although when researching the store later in the day, I learned that one of their fragrances dates back to 1533 and was created as a wedding gift for Catherine de Medici’s husband, King Henry II of France! I believe this is the oldest perfume in existence. Also I used to watch Reign on Netflix, and Catherine de Medici was one of the main characters. I’ll have to go back tomorrow and give it a sniff—it feels like such a cool connection!

Next on our historical tour was the Basilica di Santa Croce! We had to make a stop here since both Michelangelo and Galileo are buried in this stunning church. Although we got a bit of a late start today and didn’t have as much time to explore, it was still amazing to walk through and admire the architecture and history.

After Santa Croce, we headed to the Medici family’s former residence, the Palazzo Medici Riccardi. While it wasn’t as large as Palazzo Pitti, it was just as ornate, with stunning artwork throughout.

My favorite part was a room set up to show how people would have lived in it during that era. I had been dying to see something like this, and it definitely didn’t disappoint!

For dinner, we tried Osteria La Dolce Vita Firenze. I’d been wanting to try ribollita, a traditional Tuscan soup made from leftover bread, cannellini beans, kale, cabbage, and whatever vegetables were on hand. It was hearty and comforting—perfect for a lazy day. We also shared gnocchi with walnuts and sliced beef with olive oil and rosemary. While everything was good, we preferred the steak we had the night before, which wasn’t as salty.

Since we were so close to the gelato spot we loved last night, we had to stop in again. I tried the cinnamon flavor, and wow—this was hands down the best gelato I’ve had on this trip! It tasted like Cinnamon Toast Crunch in ice cream form, but better. I’m already planning to grab some more gelato tomorrow before we leave.

Speaking of tomorrow, we’re heading to Rome in the afternoon. We’ll be sad to say goodbye to Florence, but it’s been such a wonderful experience! On to the next adventure!