How my love affair with Florence started

Ciao! Florence is a breathtakingly beautiful city, one that I have heard about my entire life. My grandmother Lilliana was born and raised in Florence and her name was inspired by the flower of Florence, the lily. At 24 she married an American GI during World War II and moved to the United States in 1946; only to return to Italy twice the rest of her life sadly, when her parents each died. You see, she longed for the city of Florence and the life she once had so she would talk to her children and grandchildren about it ALL THE TIME. "It's the most beautiful city in the entire world!" and "All the beautiful people come from Florence" or "The best art in the world is in Florence!" are just a few sentences I can hear her repeating in her heavy accent throughout the years. As a child, these stories and how grand the city is and how beautiful her life was while there, left a lasting impression on me and years later when I could afford to start traveling, you best believe that Florence was #1 on my bucket list. And I have to say, it did not disappoint! I'm a family history buff, so I am a bit bias perhaps on my reasons why this city is so special as I walk the same cobblestone streets that my grandmother did, and her parents too; which lead to my obsession with this glorious city, hence my Florence love affair. This blog is a place where I can share my grandmother's story and highlight the places in Florence that are special to me. All the things I enjoy and love about Florence will be celebrated here with a focus on places off the beaten path; and including great restaurants to try, photo ops and shopping, things to do and can't miss attractions for anyone that is going to Florence. So prepare yourself, Florence will take your breath away!

                                                             Lilliana Pampaloni Rose