Florence

Once again I would like to extend a warm welcome to GoingEuro.com. I have included a list of guidebooks I prefer to use; in addition to, restaurants, accommodations and shops that I am partial to along with other web sites I found useful or just interesting.

One of the fondness memories of Florence is waking up one morning around 8:00 am to the sound of church bells and looking out a bright glorious Spring morning. Another wonderful experience I had was when I spent a delightful afternoon exploring the Boboli Gardens. I had such a wonderful time. The roses were in bloom, the birds were chirping and life seemed so - perfect. I also have to say the Florentine people were extremely auspicious. At one restaurant, the owner/chef uncorked the wine for our table and afterwards presented each table with a signed copy of his cookbook. He was extremely proud of his restaurant. Given the food and service I could understand why. These little moments are what makes a trip truly wonderful and memorable. I hope your trip is as wonderful and memorable.

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I could not find a direct flight from the United States to Florence, so my options were to fly into Rome, Milan or Paris and from one of those cities catch either a flight into Florence or a the train. On my last trip, I found flying out of New York City that Air France offered the best fare. I flew into Paris (Charles de Gaulle) and from there I caught a intercity flight to Florence. The flight from Paris to Florence was approximately an hour and forty minutes. I would like to mention when inquiring about the flights, I found it was cheaper to book the flights separately versus booking them as one. I also made sure there was plenty of time between flights in case of delays. I am not sure what the policy of airlines if you miss your connecting flight when you book the flights separately. On my trip home from Florence, I saved time by arranging with the airline to have them transfer my luggage in Paris from the Florence flight to the flight home to New York. By doing this I avoided having to recheck my luggage in Paris for the flight to New York. Now if I would have booked the flights together I would not have had to do this because the airline would have automatically transferred my luggage

When arrived by air I found the easiest way to get from the airport into Florence was by taxi. The cost was reasonable and the alternative would have been to take a bus to the bus terminal and from the bus terminal to either walk to my hotel or take another bus or taxi.

The narrow streets of Florence are quite lovely explore. Most of the main attractions are in the historic center of town within easy walking distance of one another, but just in case there are buses that run throughout the city. The bus system is operated by ATAF. Tickets are available at tobacconist shops, newsstands and at the bus terminal. For more information such as routes and timetables click on the link. The site has an English version.

I pre-booked (time entry) tickets to some of the museums I wanted to visit through a company called Select Italy. Florence attracts a large number of people, some of the more popular museums such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia (home of the magnificent David) can have long lines especially during the high season. Given the popularity of Florence and since I was going in May I thought it was a good idea to make reservations for both the Uffizi and the Accademia in advance. As it turns out it was a good idea. For example I made a 10:00 am reservation on a Tuesday for the Uffizi Gallery. I arrived a little before my entry time to pick up the ticket at the ticket office and as I was walking to the entrance I passed a rather long line for those who did not pre-book their tickets. I walked in without waiting in a line. I had a similar experience at the Accademia.

The Florentine, a free weekly newspaper for the English speaking community Florence is filled with helpful information. The newspaper keeps the ex-pat community and visitors informed on what’s going on. It’s distributed on Thursdays throughout the city.

Intotheweb, Via de’ Conti 23r (San Lorenzo) Tele: 055 2645628 offers Internet access, faxing (sending and receiving), cell phone rentals and sells phone cards. Open daily from 10:00 am to midnight. Varies cafes around Florence offer WiFi. The Hotel Torre Guelfa offers WiFi in the guest’s main lounge.

The Paperback Exchange (Anglo-American Bookshop), 31R Via Fiesolana Tele: 055 2478154 is good to know about in case you are in the market for a book in English while you are in Florence. While exploring the area around the church, Santa Margherita de’ Cerchi, where Dante was married, I discovered a wonderful little shop called Dantesca, 13/R Via Santa Margherita Tele: 055 289187. They sell handmade (a real mom and pop type of shop) wallets and other leather goods. It’s located right across from the church. On the Piazza San Lorenzo there is an open market that sells everything including leather goods. In addition, around the church of San Lorenzo there are shops that also sell leather goods including leather coats. La Botteghina del Ceramista, Via Guelfa 5/r (San Lorenzo) Tele: 055 28-73-67 offers a fine selection of distinctive and unique handmade ceramics from the region. Another place to go for ceramics is Manetti & Masini, Borgo SS Apostoli 45/r Tele: 055 212254. More traditional, yet still elegant. I purchased four oval desert bowls in a pretty shade of blue with a fruit design on the bottom. The shop is west of the Hotel Torre Guelfa on the same street as the hotel. For handmade leather bound photo albums and other lovely stationary items there is Scriptorium. There are two locations, one at Via dei Servi 5-7r (north side of the Duomo) and the other one at Piazza de' Pitti 6 (Oltrarno). Another place to go for stationary items is the legendary Pineider, Piazza della Signoria 13r (Duomo area) Tele: 055 284655.

You can sample and purchase cheeses and other specialties of Tuscany including Salame di Cinghiale (salami made from wild boar) at the Mercato Centrale (food market). The beautiful cast iron building was completed in 1874 and beautifully restored in 1980.