Traveling Solo
 

Hi, I will be traveling to Florence 1 week and Taormina Sicily for 2 weeks. I've been to these places before so I've done most of what I could do in these 2 places. In florence I am looking for some day trips, I've been to Siena and San Gimigeano.I've been to the academia, ufizi, boboli gardens, piaza michelangelo, duomo, smn church, perfume pharmacia etc. is there any other place to visit? I hear lucca was not that interesting. Any other suggestions of what to do in florence? In Taormina I did a trip to seracusa I am planning on trying to visit lipari and maybe 1 more aeolian island...any other suggestions?
MS

There are endless other places to visit in Florence, but some of them are admittedly not mentioned in most guidebooks.

Among the many that are: the Brancacci chapel in Santa Maria del Carmine (Masaccio, Filippo Lippi, Masolino); the Pazzi chapel on the grounds of Santa Croce (Brunelleschi, Luca della Robbia); the Bardi and Peruzzi chapels (Giotto) in Santa Croce itself; the chapel (Benozzo Gozzoli) in the Medici-Riccardi palace;
the Museum of San Marco (frescoes and paintings by Fra Angelico); the churches of San Lorenzo and Santo Spirito, both by Brunelleschi; the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, with Michelangelo's unfinished Pieta and the original Doors of Paradise by Ghiberti; the exquisite little church of San Miniato al Monte.

There are four or five versions by different painters of the Last Supper in various convents and churches in Florence; there is a lovely Crucifixion frescoed by Perugino in Santa Maria Maddalena dei Pazzi; etc., etc.

Find a good guidebook, read up on the history of art and architecture, and Florence will offer you an opportunity unequalled anywhere else to follow the evolution of the Renaissance.

Hi Maria,

In addition,

The Bargello Museum and the town of Fiesole.

We also did daytrips to Bologna and Orvieto.

Hi Maria,

I am a big fan of Stromboli in the Aeolian Islands. You can do a search on "Betty's Sicily Trip Report Consolidated" for my passage on Stromboli. Some people think the island of Panarea is very beautiful too (especially if you dive or enjoy swimming in crystal-clear water). However, Panarea has a more jet-set environment so the prices will tend to be much higher. Neither Stromboli nor Panarea allows cars on the island.
Ciao!

Do you enjoy bicycling? When I was in Florence I did a day-long ride (not as strenuous as it sounds!) with I Bike Italy. The owner is American. We went up to Fiesole (great views) and through vineyards and beautiful wooded areas, stopping for a delicious lunch in a vineyard. It was lots of fun and I made some friends that I later met for dinner and drinks. A neat way to get out of the city and experience some beautiful scenery. http://www.ibikeitaly.com/

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