Santa Maria Novella station opens the senses through train doors, bustling platforms both excite and stress at this crossroads for travelers near and far. A traveling stomach and hungry mind wander into Shake Café, where the strength of coffee and warmth of service place a new kind of platform beneath the feet. Fresh and fueled, steps are taken toward the city center. Through the bouncing crowds of the river, the sounds of thousands collide into one, harmonizing on the Arno’s Ponte Vecchio. Flowing bridges and the reflecting waters beneath are watched from the Golden View restaurant, capturing the feelings of the day. Memories of roots are then traced to the School of Leather, where worn hands shape products of traditional craft and skills are passed down through time and tradition, making the useful, memorable. Hungry for comfort, the embrace of Ristorante San Lorenzo wraps around the evening with a place at the table for anyone who sits. Satisfied, a last glow of light is savored sweetly on the tongue at Carabe Gelato. All that is left is the connection to wanderers alike in the encouraging dark wood pub at Finnegans. There, the songs and the senses make the foreign familiar.