CIAO BELLA!

What is it about Florence that casts such a powerful spell? Discover the magic of the Italian city through its art, gardens, gastronomy, and sheer sun-kissed beauty.

- Pushpak Sen

''You know all those posters and memes on social media with life quotes on them? Carpe diem, life is too short, seize the day, live in the moment... These aren’t just some cheesy words strung together. I believe they are very, very true. More so over the past couple two years, which have been extremely distressful for all of us across the globe.

The idea of travelling to anywhere further than one’s backyard or roof was truly luxurious. But, as they say, miracles occur every day. One such miracle resulted in me moving to one of the most beautiful cities in the world in April 2021, to pursue my dream of studying fashion... I am talking about Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance.

And so, it is only fair that I take you, dear reader, along with me to some of my favourite locations in this historically-rich city.

We will start at the stone bridge of Ponte Vecchio, on the Arno River. This bridge dates back to almost 996 a.d.. It was swept away by a massive flood in 1117 a.d. but was rebuilt in the mid-1300s. The bridge offers a magnificent view of the Arno River, with medieval structures all around. If you stand on this bridge and look to either side, you will see lines of jewelry shops with wooden shutters and store fronts...almost as if they have come alive from the dusty pages of history books.