Our first meal in Florence was at my fiancée's favorite sandwich shop in the world. However, we didn't realize that All'Antico Vinaio had become number one on Trip Advisor.  There was a huge line and we debated leaving, but how could you pass up a delicious porchetta sandwich with serve-yourself-red wine in the street!

The Duomo is the main church in Florence.  We didn't wait in line to climb to the top  because we were tired of waiting in lines after the sandwiches.

I think my hands are still swollen from all the cured meats we consumed in Italy.  Loved all of the local and fresh food that can be found in the streets of Tuscany.

The streets were decorated so beautifully with different strands of lights -- Florence is a popular holiday destination!

Whenever we'd tire from the crowded streets of Florence, we'd duck into gelato shop and treat ourselves to a new flavor!

We took a day trip by train from Florence to Siena to meet with Dave's friends.

Siena is an incredibly charming historic town that I highly recommend adding to your Italy itinerary -- also declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site.

I died and went to heaven when we arrived at Borgo Finacchieto. There aren't words to describe the night we spent there with friends. 

Regardless of the gallons of red wine consumed throughout the evening, I had my best night of sleep ever in the Donatello. 

We dined twice at this 4.5 star Yelp rated restaurant. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu, but if you've had your fill of pasta, their salads are a delicious healthy fix!

That's Dave taking a picture of our favorite waiter, Nikola at Coquinarius. If you have the chance to dine here and he's working, you'll know why! 

David is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture created between 1501 and 1504, by the Italian artist Michelangelo. It can be found at the Palazzo Vecchio.

There's only so many greek salads one can eat while in Greece and only so much pasta one can consume while in Italy. We always find ourselves hunting down an alternative cuisine and this 4.5 star Yelp rated Chinese restaurant, Il Mandarino, hit the spot. 

There's no better way to celebrate New Year's Eve in Florence than with a bottle of Prosecco (an Italian sparkling white wine) in one of the town's squares. 

We learned quickly there aren't many rules for setting off fireworks in foreign lands. Everywhere you would turn, someone was setting off celebratory blasts of colorful explosions. Most memorable where these over the Fountain of Neptune. 

I was pretty sure one of us would lose a limb on NYE because fireworks were being set off literally everywhere on the street, feeling similar to this.  (I'm glad to share we're back to Brooklyn in one piece).

I loved all of the sparklers being waved around in celebration of welcoming a New Year!

This picture brings back such fun memories from New Years Eve in Florence. I can't say that I've ever drank Presecco on a carousel before but here I am bending the rules in Piazza della Repubblica.