The last post I wrote, I shared memorable spots I visited in London, New Delhi and Florence. I’m going back to Florence in my mind for this post, as it’s a place I miss, and I’d like to share with you one of my fondest memories.

This past Christmas I was able to share one of my favorite places with my favorite person, my partner, Ryan. He had never been to Europe, so it was a no-brainer to bring him to Florence. We planned our trip one afternoon in August 2019 and booked our flights and hotel in London, deciding to stay at an Airbnb in Florence. We were leaving Christmas night, spending Boxing Day in London and then flying to Florence the following day, staying through New Year’s Day. Everything was in place, and I booked a visit to the Duomo, the Uffizi and many other sites that could not go unseen by a first-timer.

The first half of our trip was wonderful, and we enjoyed every last pub (and pint) we popped into. When we got to Florence, we were beyond excited to grab some pizza, wine and enjoy the rest of our vacation. The next three days were a whirlwind of architecture, art, wine and delicious food; it was beyond amazing. The day of our Duomo adventure, we got up early, grabbed a bite and headed over to climb the stairs. (You now need to buy tickets for both the Duomo and Catacombs, so keep this in mind for future visits). Ryan and I got to the top (inside) of the Duomo and made our way to the stairs to go outside to the very top. Piece of advice: If you are trying to take on these stairs with someone over 6 feet tall, you may want to reconsider. I was bummed when Ryan wanted to turn around, and he seemed annoyed as well, but I would soon find out why.

ID 87779358 © Ekaterinabelova | Dreamstime.com

For lunch, we agreed to stop in my favorite square, Piazza della Republica, at one of my favorite restaurants, Fiorino D’Oro, for pizza. After having some bubbles and enjoying the beautiful day, Ryan dropped down on one knee and asked me to marry him! I immediately said “YES!” so we didn’t make it to the tippy top of the Duomo, but considering what I got instead, I’ll take it — one of the absolute best travel memories to date!

— Sarah Ward, account executive