Michael's European Journey

Arrival + Icons + Paris After Dark

We hit the ground running on Day 1. While it was exhausting, I wouldn't have had it any other way. Our first stop was a stroll down the Champs-Élysées to move our bodies and get our bearings, since it was our first time in Paris.

From there, we hopped on a Paris TukTuk tour. It was a fun way to get oriented with the city and save our jet-lagged legs for our late afternoon and evening activities.

We climbed the Eiffel Tower stairs in the afternoon and it was worth it, despite the rain. Then we swung by the Arc de Triomphe, but made a deliberate choice to save the climb for after dark.

Dinner was a low-key win at The Drugstore, right off the Champs, which was easy, unpretentious, and exactly what was needed.

Post dinner, we went back to the Arc de Triomphe, which was a highlight of the day! Watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle from up there was magic, as was standing at the top of the Arc, looking down at the avenues below. Don't skip it, and definitely don't do it during the day if you can help it.

We ended the night back at our home base, Hotel Balmoral. It is a smaller, well-located gem that felt like a perfect Persian place to stay rather than a generic hotel . We couldn't have asked for a better first day.

Louvre + Seine + Île de la Cité + Nighttime Grandeur

Day 2 started at the Louvre, and here's my advice--book a early-morning guided tour. We did skip-the-line tickets, which handled the queues fine, but the museum itself is overwhelming without someone helping you navigate and prioritize. We wandered haphazardly, got turned around, and definitely missed things we would have loved to see. Learn from us on that one.

After the Louvre, we strolled through the Tuileries Garden, which was a great way to decompress after the chaos of the Louvre. Then we enjoyed lazy downtime along the Seine as we heading toward Île de la Cité. This stretch was one of my favorite parts of the day. No agenda, just walking along the river, looking at street art until we spotted Crêperie Parisienne and stopped for brunch. The crepes were absolutely delicious!

On the island, we walked the exterior of Notre-Dame and explored the surrounding streets before making our way to Angelina or its famous hot chocolate on our way back to the hotel. (Skip the line for a table and just buy from the takeaway counter. Same hot chocolate, no wait.)

Dinner was at Kong, and the glass dome setting did not disappoint. We capped the night with after-dinner drinks and dessert at Le Bar Kléber at The Peninsula, which was the perfect note to end on.

Montmartre + Le Marais; Ciao, Paris

We were up and out the door to Montmartre before the city woke up on Day 3, and it made all the difference. Sacré-Cœur is beautiful. The terrace views and the rooftops around it are just as much of the draw.

It was special to see the sleepy streets wake up. Rue de l'Abreuvoir, Place du Tertre, the cobbled side streets is where local magic lives, and we needed the quiet of the early morning to actually feel it. We grabbed a coffee and pastry, found a corner, and lingered.

We popped in and out of some shops prior to walking back toward the hotel rather than taking the metro or taxi. And this turned out to be one of our favorite moments of the day. No landmarks, just real Parisian neighborhoods and people going about their morning. Bakeries opening, locals walking dogs, people biking to work. That walk reminded us why we always choose to walk when we have time.

We headed to Le Marais for more wandering and lunch, and made our way to Marché des Enfants Rouges, to explore the must-see market.

Afterward it was bags, taxi, and off to CDG for our flight to Florence. Checking into an Airbnb centered in Borgo San Jacopo was the right call. It immediately felt less like tourism and more like living in Florence. We finished the day with an evening stroll along the Arno, and just like that, Paris was behind us and Italy was beginning.

Florence: Village Feels + Bells +and Stone + the Smell of Espresso

Florence hits differently than Paris. It's smaller, denser, and more village feeling, which is more our pace. From the moment we stepped into the streets on Day 4, with espresso wafting and church bells tolling, we know we were somewhere special.

We built the morning entirely around the Duomo complex, and it deserved every minute we gave it. The climb is no joke: narrow, winding, and not for the claustrophobic. But when we stepped out at the top and Florence unfolds below us, in every direction, we appreciated every step. This was the moment of the day.

From the Dome we moved to Giotto's Campanile for a different angle on the city skyline, and then to the Baptistery of St. John to see the Gates of Paradise bronze doors up close.

Our afternoons in Florence were for wandering, so we made our way to Piazza della Signoria to see the Neptune Fountain, the replica of David, and the Loggia dei Lanzi. Then we headed to Ponte Vecchio (the famous medieval bridge lined with jewelry shops), which was followed by a walking hike up to Piazzele Michaelangelo.

As the golden hour light came in low over the Arno, everything turned amber and soft and a little unreal.

Florence to Rome = Art to Empire

Day 5 started at the Accademia Gallery (9:00 am tickets booked in advance, which is a non-negotiable here.) And yes, Michelangelo's David was every bit as powerful as people say. The unfinished Pietàs were also worth slowing down for, as it was moving to see what he left incomplete.

After the Accademia, we crossed the Arno into Oltrarno, and this is where Florence showed us a different side of itself. Away from the Duomo crowds and the tour groups, Oltrarno is all leather workshops, artisan studios, and locals who actually live here. We wandered the streets around Santo Spirito, peeked into workshops, and landed at a local trattoria for lunch.

Then it was bags and train, as we headed to Rome.

We checked into the Marriott's Pantheon Iconic Rome Hotel, dropped our things, and headed to its rooftop bar for a night view of the city. Afterward we stopped outside the Pantheon, which was impressive to see, even if it was just the exterior after dark. Then we strolled down Via Condotti for the window shopping and headed to Piazza Trilussa, which was buzzing with evening life. We finished with a gelato and a slow riverside walk back to the hotel, a perfect Roman nightcap.

Rome Before the Crowds + Vatican City + Ancient Ruins

We started Day 6 with a quiet morning photo stop at the Pantheon, which was a completely different experience from the night before, and then swung by the Trevi Fountain before the crowds descended.

Then the Vatican.

Skip-the-line tickets guided tour tickets are essential, not optional. We really enjoyed a guided walking tour of the most famous places, paintings and sculptures in the Vatican, which ended at the Sistine Chapel.

From the Vatican we made our way across the city to the Colosseum. Walking into that arena and feeling the weight of its 2,000 years of history (just sitting there in the middle of a city) is hard to put into words. From there we moved through the Roman Forum and up to Palatine Hill.

By evening we were on a train to Florence en route to Monsummano Terme and the Grotta Giusti Thermal Spa Resort Tuscany. After the bustle of Rome, arriving in a quiet and beautiful Tuscan town felt like a reward. Specialty drinks at the bar, dinner, was the kind of exhale we needed.

Tuscany = A Long Exhale

After six days of early alarms, skip-the-line tickets, and sprinting between monuments, Day 7 was the for hitting the snooze button and taking a pause.

We started with breakfast at the hotel, and a hike around the property amongst olive trees. Then we headed straight into the Thermal Grotto, with warm vapor rising through natural caverns, a thermal lake glowing in the dim light, the kind of silence that feels sacred. It was an otherworldly experience, and a genuinely perfect antidote to the pace of the days before. From there, we had massages and did the spa thermal circuit, including indoor pools, steam baths, and saunas. No agenda. No rushing.

Lunch was at the Oasis Bar by the pool, followed by an afternoon at the outdoor thermal pool.

But the highlight of the day, and maybe one of the most charming moments of the whole trips, came in the evening. We walked to Montecatini Therme, planning to ride the funicular railway to the hilltop village of Montecatini Alto. Though it was closed for the season and we, instead, had to hike the steep path to the top. It was everything a Tuscan hilltop village should be: cobblestone streets, artisan shops, and panoramic views (at sunset) stretching out in every direction. Then we dined at Caffè Giusti. We lingered longer than planned, which was perfect until we didn't have a way to get back to the hotel. Coming to our rescue, the lovely owner drove us back down the hill. We were full and happy with satisfaction of a day that gave us everything!

A Florentine Celebration

We arrived back in Florence on Day 8 with a full day ahead and a birthday to celebrate.

We kicked off the celebration with a stop at Vivoli Gelateria, which is a famous, historic gelato shops. They serve their popular and extremely tasty gelato-and-espresso combo, Affogato, featuring artisanal cream gelato with Illy coffee.

Then we headed to a pizza and gelato making class at Florence Food Studio, which was another highlight of the day. Hands in dough, learning to stretch and top a proper Neapolitan-style pizza.

After our pizza and gelato, we stopped at some wine windows, to experience one of Florence's best-kept quirks. We went to Cantina de' Pucci for a Chianti then crossed the Arno into Oltrarno to arrive at Babae in Santo Spirito square. House red in hand, standing in the piazza, watching Florence do its afternoon thing.

Our trip closed with a night stroll along the Arno with the city lights reflected in the water. A very good birthday, and the perfect end to our European introduction. We will be back.