I was recently in Florence, Italy. My mother was born / raised there, so it feels like a second home. I was fortunate, there were not many tourists. I was able to walk the streets and actually “see” the buildings, etc.
And guess what I saw… YES, a Starbucks! Amazing how they are everywhere. You’d think in Italy, they have the best coffee, who would go to Starbucks? Obviously, people go. Same with McDonald’s which is by the train station, always packed with people.
I noticed that more cafes offer coffee to go. Years past, that was not an option.
Oh, and of course, I saw the Apple Store too.
Imagine walking by the Duomo and being able to walk right in, no long line. That hasn’t happened in years. I lit a candle, look how full, so many prayers.
It’s interesting, no matter how many times I go to Florence, I still take photos of the Duomo as if it is the very first time. I was thinking about that this trip when I took photos.
Did I need another photo of the Duomo? YES, of course!
Happy Traveling.
Brilliant Viewpoint 
I love how Starbucks is everywhere and how the stores usually blend in with the environment. The Starbucks in Thailand was amazing. Yes, you need a picture of the Duomo every time you visit. Just like I need a picture of the York Minster every time I visit that city. Love your doors.
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Darlene, you’re right, I had doors! 🙂 I didn’t think about that.
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Looks like a busy place. Yes, indeed I believe I could find a great cup of coffee outside of Starbucks there and inhale the local flavor. Enjoy!
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At least the signage of these franchises is understated compared to what you see in the States. I’d hate to think of a photo of Santa Maria del Fiore compromised by the commercial logos we see ad nauseam. Beautiful photos, by the way. I forgot about the beautiful, intricate detail of the facade.
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You’re right, that’s what I liked. The signage over there is elegant. Just the logo on a beautiful old building. In America, it’s different. I was thinking, maybe because in Europe, you walk everywhere, so you see the stores. While in America you drive everywhere, so you would miss a building unless you were looking for it. You don’t just “happen” on it.
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I’m guessing Vienna has a Starbucks or two but any version would pale in comparison to their elegant coffee houses. Coffee in Vienna is an experience. Coffee at Starbucks – as you say – is a convenience.
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You can never have too many photos of a favorite subject – especially when that subject is on another continent!
I wonder if Starbucks survives there mostly because of American tourists.
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I think it is a combination, not just America tourists. There, if people like American things, they would go into Starbucks with that in mind. Also, I think they gave “to go cups,” which was never the norm in Europe. More cafes are doing that, I saw people on the trains with drinking cups. In old days, that was never the case. It’s was funny, because really, it’s hard to travel with luggage and a cup in your hand. Of course, it most likely will spill at some point.
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Arghhhh, Florence. I remember first arriving in that beautiful city and not being able to speak. My travelling companion kept nudging me, asking what my first impressions were and I did not respond. Could not respond. I needed to just take it all in. You can never have too many photos of the Duomo.
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It’s true, if we love something, it seems that a new picture has different lighting, a different angle, etc.
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Florence is so great. I was there with my wife in 2011. Overall, it looks very similar, I think, to how it looked in the 1400s. Our favorite plaza was Piazza di Santa Croce.
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They often have concerts in Piazza di Santa Croce, beautiful.
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I’d love to go Italy. Your photos are gorgeous. My daughter studied abroad in Rome and was able travel to Florence. I missed years of opportunities to travel to Italy with my husband’s aunt and uncle. His uncle is from Palermo, Sicily. His aunt worked as a city planner of Rome in the 1960s. Now that I have time to travel, they no longer do.
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A shame you weren’t able to visit your daughter when she studied there, but back then for all of us, life was busy, Go, it’s fun, especially for the FIRST time. Next year, the Vatican is having a Jubilee. HERE’s what I just Googled: Vatican says five Holy Doors will be opened during 2025 …The Vatican Jubilee is a year of celebration and spiritual renewal that takes place in Rome, Vatican City, and across Italy. The next Jubilee will be in 2025, beginning Christmas Eve, 2024 and ending on December 14, 2025
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Thank you for the information about the Vatican Jubilee. That sounds fascinating.
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We even have a Starbucks here in Johannesburg. They are everywhere. I have only been to Florence once and it was amazing 💓
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Wonderful, I wonder what YOUR store looks like. It would be interesting to do a comparison. In fact, I was in Munich, I should have taken a photo there, I didn’t think about it. I think it’s because it looked normal, while the Florence store looked so grand, like a fortress. 😉. Thanks for visiting.
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My pleasure. I’ve never been inside our store as I don’t drink coffee. It was a big event when it opened though 💓
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