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FLORENCE AND TUSCANY

APARTMENT RENTALS:

  • Villa Calcinaia is our home in Tuscany. It’s 12km west of Florence. Just tell Paola Cinelli we sent you.
  • Pitcher & Flaccomio is a real estate agency (rent or own) run by our friend susie Pitcher, a transplanted Australian since 1964
  • Italy Perfect – Pat and Lisa Byrne are wonderful people with an excellent selection of beautiful apartments. Highly Recommended.
  • Residenza d’Epoca – A beautiful B&B located on the top floor of a beautiful ancient palace. The rooms are very contemporary and comfortable.

HOTELS:

  • Lungarno Hotels $$$ is group of hotels is owned by the Ferragamo family. They are all close to the Arno river in Florence and all equally beautiful and well appointed.
  • Charming Tuscany – a good selection of Luxury, boutique and family style hotels

MUSEUMS:

DESTINATION GUIDES:

MOVIES/CINEMAS – (ENGLISH VERSION)

  • Cinema Odeon – in the Piazza degli Strozzi near the Piazza della Repubblica

TRANSPORTATION:

  • LOCAL TRANSPORTATION FROM AMERIGO VESPUCCI (PERETOLA OR FLORENCE FLR) AIRPORT
  • Taxi cab is around os
  • World Taxi meter – a clever way to figure the cab coast

LANGUAGE SCHOOL – Learn to Speak Italian while you are visiting Florence

  • Galilei Institute – language and history courses and guided tours with art and architecture historians

FOOD AND RESTAURANTS:

Tuscan classic dishes to try: bean and bread soups like ribollita and pappa al pomodoro, bruschette, pappardelle with porcini mushrooms, cinghiale (wild boar), coniglio (rabbit), fried vegetables (fritto misto) and florentine beef. Also try the cantucci (almond cookies) especially when dipped in vin santo (a local sweet wine).

  • FLORENCE:
  • Da Delfina $$ – a visit to Artimino is well worth the view and the cooking of this restaurant
  • Il Cibrèo $$-$$$ – The best traditional Florentine Restaurant near Piazza Santa Croce in Florence. $$$for the restaurant; $$ for the tratoria around the corner. The restaurant is very famous but you can get the same meal for much less at the trattoria around the corner
  • Buca Lapi $$ – Classic Florentine restaurant just off the Via Tornabuoni in Florence. Always a good meal
  • Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco $ – We love this local restaurant on Borgo San Iacopo in Florence.
  • 13 gobbi $ – real Florence Family style home cooking.
  • Trattoria Sostanza $ – Via Porcellana 25, close to 13 Gobbi. The roast chicken in butter broth and the arthichoke omelete are amazing
  • Gelateria della Passera – Via Toscanella, 15r; near the Ponte Vecchio; everything made fresh every day
  • Il Gelato Vivoli $ – OK, there are lots of great gelateri in Florence, but this one is worth going out of your way to find
  • TUSCANY:
  •  La Chiusa $$ – TUSCAN “homestyle” restaurant near Monelpuciano, also have a small beautiful hotel
  • Il Pozzo $$ – Country restaurant inside the walled Medievel city of Monteriggioni
  • Edy Piu $-$$ – Across the street from Villa Calcinaia in Lastra A Signa (see above apartment rental). This is a wonderful Tuscan country meal

COOKING SCHOOL: