Photos by Esme Rios, (University of Wisconsin Madison), Student Correspondent for CET Florence, Summer 2022
![flowers coming out of window on side of a building](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-Summer-Building-in-Lucca_Florence_Street-Scene_Esme-Rios.png)
I took this while visiting the lovely city of Lucca. It was very yellow and blue and beautiful. It’s the perfect place for a wholesome and calming vibe away from the bustling energy of Florence.
![golden door with small raised scultpures](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-Summer-Gates-of-Paradise_Florence_Esme-Rios.png)
These are the famous Gates of Paradise of the Baptistry. They were made by Ghiberti in the 1500’s. They depict various stories from the Old Testament which had political weight in Florence during the time of their creation.
![fountain with golden rocks in the middle](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-Summer-Lucca-Fountain_Florence_Street-Scene_Esme-Rios.png)
On the way to the train home from Lucca, we passed this picturesque fountain. My roommate said the water looked like a place mermaids could live.
![two friends under shade in a grassy area](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-Summer-Green-Space_Florence_ESme-Rios.png)
The one downside to Florence is the green spaces are a little harder to come by, though there are many. It was nice being surrounded by nature on this weekend trip!
![Esme pretending to push the leaning tower of Pisa toward her friend](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-Summer-Leaning-Tower-of-Pisa_Florence_Street-Scene_Esme-Rios.jpg)
While there isn’t a whole lot to see in Pisa, visiting the leaning tower was pretty surreal. It was also fun to be the embarrassing tourists taking basic pictures. The food and wine in Pisa is also very very good, but don’t go on a Sunday—it’s practically a ghost town.
![Various gelato flavors behind shop glass counter](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-Summer-Gelato_Florence_Food_Esme-Rios.png)
I’ve found gelato is consistently good across Italy. Here’s a picture of a place my roommate’s and I found in Pisa!
![Surrealist art in gold frames](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-Summer-Art-in-Burger-Joint_Florence_Esme-Rios.png)
This is a section of a wall in a burger joint I found one night. Word of advice: do not try burger joints in Italy. The only decent place I found was Burgez. At least the art was very entertaining though.
![painting on interior of dome](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-Summer-Inside-Duomo_Florence_Esme-Rios.png)
This is the view of the dome from inside Florence’s Duomo. My fellow CET members and I went on a tour headed by the funniest priest I’ve ever met. Some of the things he said felt illegal for a religious figure to be saying.
![long hall way with high ceilings inside church](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-Summer-Medici-Church_Florence_Esme-Rios.png)
Here’s a picture from the inside of a church commissioned by the Medici family. I went during an Italian Renaissance Art History class and learned that basically everything was a discrete testament to the Medici’s money and power.
![Train station platforms with trees in the background](https://cetacademicprograms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-Summer-Train-Station_Florence_Transportation_Esme-Rios.png)
A moment of stillness on a train platform in between cities. The lighting on the trees in the distance looked like a painting—it was all so serene.