My Favorite Florence Tours

In 2004, my family decided to spend a year living in Florence, Italy because I was determined to try to learn another language before it was too late. I was already over 50. My husband was able work as a teacher there, so the three of us, myself, Paul and Nora who was 15, moved to Florence.

It ended up taking me a very long time to become conversational in Italian. I tried to return every year for a stay because being among the Italians, some of whom had become friends, was by far the best way to become more fluent.

In 2013, my oldest daughter who had led a couple tours in Morocco where she had lived, suggested I try doing the same in Florence to help raise funds for the AACDP. Why not, I thought?

The tours are small from 6 to 8 guests. I take 2 small groups in the fall and sometimes in the spring as well. I am thinking hard about hosting an artists' tour for this spring. We'll see.

My theme is always "Marsha's Favorite Florence", and below some tour participants have shared their favorite moments.

My favorite moment of each tour is the tour goers' first sight

of Santa Maria delle Fiore - Santa Maria of the Flowers, AKA the Duomo.

Santa Maria delle Fiore - the Duomo

"I appreciated the balance of art/museums/churches with walks out side of town in Fiesole and Settignano with its spectacular views of city and vineyard. And the country air."

"The comradely dinners each night eating pasta with truffles, or fried pumpkin flowers that were as light as butterfly wings."

"The natural hot springs outside of Pienza were pure pleasure, soaking in the sulfurous hot water watching the sun set over the hill before us."

"Walking in the evenings through the outskirts of Florence knowing that we were safe and could enjoy the beauty of these neighborhoods without worrying about getting lost."

"Tea at Manuela’s house high on the Pian di Guliari feasting on oranges, torta di albacoche (apricot) and a view that has not changed in 500 years."

"The hike to the 350 yr old Queen Cypress at the end of a hilly country road."

"Country walks with views of sherbet colored farmhouses spread out between neatly plowed fields, grey blue olive orchards, vineyards undulating with the hillside, and thinking how it would be to live in such a beautiful, timeless place where little seems to have changed in spite of the tourism."