Do as the Romans do...or at least try to: Firenze: The City of Fine Wine and Kebabs

This past weekend Christina and I ventured to Florence to visit my friend from high school Cassie who studies there. Based on the dreary weather conditions in Rome prior to our departure we figured it was going to be cold, but we were unaware it was going to be the coldest Florence has been in the past 25 years. It was an adventure to say the least.
Our trip began waking up to a power outage in our apartment, which is still in the process of being fixed. Therefore we decided showers weren't necessary and went to face the rain. It was not just rain, it was a massive downpour. By the time we had walked one block we were completely drenched, even in heavy jackets. My pants were a complete shade darker by the time we reached the Rome train station. We made it on the train and attempted to dry out on our long train ride there.
Once we arrived, we had to face the bitter cold Florence had in store for us. It didn't help that our feet were still frozen from the Roman rains. We found Cassie and headed out to explore. Anything indoors sounded like a perfect tourist attraction, therefore we decided to wander around the Uffizi, one of Italy's most famous museums. The museum was nearly empty. It was as if we had the museum to ourselves which is unheard of in the peak tourist months. We stumbled upon Botticelli's breathtaking "The Birth of Venus" and other works of art done by da Vinci, Lippi and more. It was hard to comprehend that we were actually looking at pieces done by the world-renowned artists. Once we finally thawed out, we decided to head back to our hostel to get ready for the Florentine nightlife.
We had a great time going to all the different bars and discotecas with Cassie and her friends. The best part of the night transpired on our way back...kebabs. In reality they are nothing close to kebabs as all. They're more like gyros with chicken. Needless to say they were the perfect light night snack. I was obsessed. It took a great deal of self-control for me to not sit there and keep ordering them.
Yesterday we did some more sightseeing. We went into the Duomo and the Galleria Academia to see Michelangelo's The David. It was unbelievable. We could have sat there staring at him for hours.
Despite the cold it was a great weekend filled with laughs and large quantities of delicious wine. I got to spend time with an old friend and meet many more. It was a wonderful experience.

Just a few pictures from the trip (more to come):