Cue Card # 39: A city you have visited and liked

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card # 39

Describe a city you have visited and liked.

You should say:

• which city it was
• when you visited there
• what you saw and did there

and explain why you liked visiting this city.

[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]

Model Answer:

Some like to call it the city of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli while the others like to call it the “city of art”. I just call it “the city of Florence” which is unique in every sense. In case, if you didn’t know, this is the most beautiful city in Italy which I was lucky enough to have visited almost 4 years ago.

With a population of about 400,000 and area of 103 square kilometres, Florence, one of the most fascinating cities in the world, is the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region which is just waiting to be explored by the nature lovers.

One has to love visiting this city since there are just too many things to do and see. From art exhibitions to live musical shows, events that celebrate wines, good food and culture, art and history, you name it, and the city of Florence has it for you.

Being considered as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and home to many masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture, one is sure to be amazed to see one of the most iconic sights in Italy called “Duomo” which is a cathedral with a terracotta-tiled dome. How about visiting The Galleria Dell’Accademia that displays Michelangelo’s “David” sculpture? Perhaps, you could also visit the Uffizi Gallery that displays Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” and Da Vinci’s “Annunciation?

Anyway, I just loved visiting this city because of its stunning natural beauty and architecture. Taking a long walk on the Altrarno (meaning “the left bank of the Arno River”) and the Centro Storico (the historical area around the “Duomo”) were just amazingly refreshing for me. Then, of course, the climb up to Michelangelo Park in Florence to capture the entire city Florence at sunset with my little camera was simply brilliant and outstanding. However, what I liked most about walking in Florence, full of history, is the possibility of “getting lost” which would allow me to visit places, like galleries and arts centre, which I wouldn’t otherwise visit. But, when I was too tired and too lazy to walk, I could simply relax into a nice and cosy place of drinking coffee while viewing and enjoying the stunning architectural marvels of Florence. Florence is a magical city where you will find beauty wherever you look.