Florence for Romance

Overview

What things cost in May 2001:
Taxi from train station (Stazione Centrale di Santa Maria Novella) to Hotel Ritz, (incl. tip)
Hotel Ritz double room, /night (incl. lovely breakfast buffet)
Nice dinner for two (four courses plus wine) at Ristorante Ricchi,
Cup of gelato (three flavors) at Coronas Café, .50

Our most memorable and romantic moment in Florence: climbing up the Duomo cupola and looking out over the city.
Our most memorable meal in Florence: lunch at Il Baraonda and my first taste of octopus.
My biggest disappointment in Florence: Gelato at Vivoli—what’s all the fuss?
What I really wanted to do but didn’t have time for this trip: see the Palazzo Corsini.

I am glad I took: My new Canon Powershot S100 Digital ELPH camera (this is an unpaid endorsement).

Quick Tips:

Please make reservations for galleries Uffizi and Accademia several weeks in advance so that you can bypass the jaw-droppingly long lines. Call 011-39-055-294.883 from the states to put in your reservations. You don't have to pay over the phone, but when you pick them up at the museums. There is a small surcharge for the reservation (.50?). I was put on hold for too long, I thought, which was kind of expensive, but then again, we didn't have to wait two hours in each line.

Best Way To Get Around:

How to get around? Get yourself a good map—our hotel (Hotel Ritz) provided us with one—and just walk.

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Hotel Ritz

Hotel

This was a super four-star hotel right on the Arno. Our little walk-out terrace was red tile with potted geraniums, overlooking the rushing, pea-green river. We had been forewarned about noisy Florentine hotel rooms, due to the street and sidewalk traffic, but Ritz has spared no expense at installing double-glazed French doors PLUS a pull-down, black-out exterior window shade that made day seem like night for us, and kept the noise to a dull roar. We were very pleased.

From this spot we could walk to anywhere in the city within fifteen minutes, twenty to Pitti Palace, which is on the perimeter. Our double room, number 22, with two twin beds pushed together and made with double linens—usual in Italy, was outfitted with sturdy, decorative wood furniture, a television, a mini-bar, and a charming ceramic chandelier light fixture. The bathroom had BIG bath towels, a hair dryer, and a shower in the corner with a drain but without any walls separating it from the rest of the room—simply a flimsy curtain. The maid had to mop up after us every morning, but did a wonderful job. Closet space was ample, with a room safe inside. Our rate was 320,000 lire/night, or $160. This included a fine buffet breakfast from 7:30 to 10:00am in a roomy, comfortable breakfast room, staffed by friendly Filipino waiters, who spoke great English and Italian. Their orange juice was surprisingly fresh—a rarity in Europe, I’ve found. Coffee there was quite good, and you could order it to taste. I got the cafe latte every morning, while my husband Dave enjoyed a doppia espresso.

The front desk staff at Hotel Ritz is really on the ball. It was as though they were waiting just for us when we checked in; they had recommendations for dinner, entertainment, walking routes, etc. There’s an officious older gentleman who likes to keep things perking along, and several lovely young women, including a Swede who was so helpful to us and spoke impeccable English and Italian. Hotel Ritz gives guests a convenient guide to Florence, including a city map, various sites, shopping, and restaurants, with up-to-date opening hours. Ritz takes credit cards. YOU NEED TO BOOK A ROOM AS FAR IN ADVANCE AS POSSIBLE (I booked ours six months ahead over the Internet). Their e-mail address is ritz@dada.it and their web site is www.florenceitaly.net.

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by Mary Louisa on May 16, 2001

Hotel Ritz
Lungarno della Zecca Vecchia, 24 Florence, Italy
(055) 234 0650

La Baraonda

Restaurant

We ate lunch at La Baraonda on the recommendation of a guidebook and an IgoUgo poster, and it turned out to be the high point of our dining in Florence. There is currently scaffolding around the building, so you must look carefully for the place--don't miss it!

The proprietor, Duccio Magni, and his wife/chef Elena run a wonderful show. Signore Magni met us at the door and took the time to explain in English the menu. Dave and I are fish-eating vegetarians, so turned down the complimentary sausage and cheese crostini, but took him up on his lunch suggestions, which were the following: I had insalata calda di polipo, ruchetta e fagioli (warm octopus, cannelini, and arugula salad, dressed with olive oil and lemon), and Dave had the spaghetini polpa di riccio, gamberetti, and pomodoro (ground sea urchin, prawns, tomato and chile pepper). See picture below for the mouth-watering sight. Traditional unsalted Tuscan bread and some local vino rosso completed the table.

Magni was similarly helpful to other tourists who came in (there were few Italians, but that was okay). His wife cooks mainly local specialties, including Tuscan bread soup, pasta e fagioli (hers has pureed beans), and rabbit stuffed with veal and ham. Florence is meat-lovers paradise!

While we may have had food as good or better elsewhere, the service of Signore Magni made La Baraonda our favorite spot.

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by Mary Louisa on May 16, 2001

La Baraonda
Via Ghibellina, 67r Florence, Italy 50121
+39 0552341171

Vivoli

Restaurant

Vivoli Gelateria gets lots of press in the guide books, but I'm not sure why. The gelato selection was not as wide as I had been led to expect, the line was extremely chaotic and the place was over-packed. While my and Dave's gelato was good (I got cioccolate and caffe, he got melone and ananas--pineapple), it wasn't worth the trouble, really.

Try Coronas Cafe instead (near the Duomo).

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by Mary Louisa on May 16, 2001

Vivoli
Via Isola delle Stinche 7r Florence, Italy
(055) 292-334

Il Francescano

Restaurant | "I'Francescano"

The Hotel Ritz recommended this restaurant, and it turned out to be a nice experience. The total package is romantic--dim lighting, rustic decor (marble-topped farmhouse tables, rush-caned chairs), local "comfort" food of Tuscany. As is true of most Italian dining rooms, this restaurant runs at a leisurely pace, allowing couples time to look into one another's eyes over a glass of lovely house wine ($4.50 for a half liter).

Italians and tourists alike were dining there on the night we went--it was full by 9:00. The menu featured lots of meat (pork ribs, chicken, sirloin, mixed Tuscan sausages, tripe, duck), but Dave and I found plenty of "fish-etarian" items. We started with the yummy pappa al pomodoro (tradition Tuscan peasant soup made with day-old bread, tomatoes, basil, and garlic) and sottolio (marinated cooked vegetables--olives, artichokes, red pepper, and little onions). The vegetables were a little high on the vinegar content.

For our secondi piatti, Dave had the lasagna with wild porcini--a small rectangle of 13 (yes, we counted) layers of thin pasta filled with white sauce and porcini (SCRUMPTIOUS, but rather small), and I had the asparagus flan, a fritatta, really, that was very nice but too salty.

The service was leisurely but polite. The girl behind the front counter told us that I'Francescano was under new ownership as of January 2001. I'm not sure that their chef was tasting what he or she was serving, though.

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by Mary Louisa on May 16, 2001

Il Francescano
Largo Bargellini, 16 Florence, Italy 50123
+39 055241605

Trattoria Croce al Trebbio

Restaurant

We had lunch at this pleasant trattoria south of Piazza Santa Maria Novella; it's open from noon to 1:30. There are two rustic dining rooms outfitted with stone, brick, stucco and wood. Rush chairs complement the traditional red and white checkered tablecloths and bottles of Chianti on every table. There is a wall of international currency, signed by visitors from all over the world--lots of fun to look at.

The daily specials are photocopied and inserted on the front page of the menu. I had a luscious insalata di pere and pecorino (pear and cheese on shredded romaine), which I dressed with red vinegar, olive oil, and lemon juice. To follow, I enjoyed fresh tagliarini (size of spaghetti) al pesto, which had a fragrant parmesan cheese in it. Dave loved his tagliattelle con funghi porcini--the sauce was very earthy and hearty. The sound system was tuned to a local top-40 radio station, and the clientele--half Italian, half tourists--were tapping their toes. We finished up with their yummy home-made tiramisu.

The service here was friendly and helpful, and we got away with a bill of approximately $30.

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by Mary Louisa on May 17, 2001

Trattoria Croce al Trebbio
Via delle Belle Donne, 49r Florence, Italy 50123
+39 055287089

Colonnine (Le)

Restaurant | "Le Colonnine"

Pizza, pizza, pizza!!! This caffe-ristorante-pizzeria was open when we needed it (a Sunday night) and near our hotel in the Santa Croce neighborhood. They are closed on Monday though. Their wide selection of affordable pizzas (ca. $6) were large (I couldn't make it through all of mine) and tasty.

The service is typically Italian--no staff will bother you unless you get their attention first. The place was full of both Italians and tourists--a good sign, I always think. The building is adorable (see photo). It is a rustic triangular corner setting with a tiny outdoor patio, but much more seating inside. Give it a try!

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by Mary Louisa on May 17, 2001

Colonnine (Le)
Via dei Benci 6R Florence, Italy
+39 (055) 234-6417

Ristorante Ricchi

Restaurant

I found a reference to this Florence seafood restaurant in the December 2000 issue of Gourmet magazine and decided we should seek it out on this trip. Seriously, if you are fan of seafood and a fan of Italian cuisine, YOU MUST GO. If you don't have the time or money to do the main restaurant, there is "Bar Ricchi" right next door, with small dishes and take out, as well as their own gelato, desserts, and drinks you can enjoy on their outdoor patio.

We headed there after a visit to the Pitti Palace, as Ristorante Ricchi is on the same side of town, the Oltrarno (across the Arno). We were greeted at 7:30pm (awfully early for Italy, I know) by the lovely wait staff, Ciro and Anna (both originally from Naples), who served us complimentary glasses of chardonnay spumanti, sliced Tuscan bread, and later, hot rolls. We pored over the menu and toasted our anniversary in the luxurious Italian surroundings of creamy walls, soft leather banquettes, suede chairs, linen tablecloths, and marble floors.

We ordered primi piatti of spaghetti ai calamaretti di penna (pasta with little squids) and risotto alle vongole veraci e zucchine novelle (rice with clams and baby zucchini). The squid pasta was rich, with an inky sauce; Dave pronounced it "good." The risotto was fresh and delicate with whole tender clams. Ciro recommended a Tuscan white wine with our dinner, a great accompaniment. As we waited for our first courses, chef sent out a bowl of tiny breaded and fried shrimp, which you pop in your mouth, heads, legs, tails, and all. They were tasty to a point, but Dave thought they were the greatest thing invented.

As a main course, Ciro recommended the San Pietro fish, a Mediterranean specialty, which is prepared steamed for two with fried potato slices, and thin sliced tomatoes. It was a wonderful fish, salty with a good olive oil flavor, which he deboned and served in front of us off of a large platter.

For dessert (yes, we kept eating) we split the torta del ciocolatta, a rich, flourless confection dusted with cocoa, similar to what you might find at American restaurants.

The dining experience was just lovely: atmosphere was romantic and quiet, food was simple yet scrumptious, and the staff were helpful and friendly. Please visit this restaurant.

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by Mary Louisa on May 17, 2001

Ristorante Ricchi
Piaza san Spirito 9/10R Florence, Italy
055-215.864

Coronas Cafe

Restaurant

This gelateria/pasticceria has everything you want when you are seeking a sweet taste of Florence. The uniformed women who work there are pleasant and helpful, the wood panelling and glass cases are sparkling and luxurious. Their gelato, which is made on the premises, arrives on a dumbwaiter from the upstairs kitchen, ready to go into the refrigerated displays. Dave sampled the mango and pineapple flavors, light and juicy with chunks of fruit in them. I had chocolate and coffee--creamy and rich with plenty of flavor. There were interesting flavors I had never seen there, including sedano alla soya, or celery for diabetics! It is apparently sugar and fat free. Dave and I had a taste, and if you hadn't told us what was in it, we would've thought it pretty good! (You can see the celery sticking up out of it in the pictures below.) Other neat flavors were Malaga with raisins, Zuppe Inglese with layers of sponge cake. The cafe is on the corner of Via del Corso and Via dei Calzaiuoli. Stop by if you are visiting the Duomo or the Uffizi--it's about halfway between each. It is head and shoulders above Gelateria Vivoli! A cup will set you back $1.50 - $3, depending on how hungry you are.

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by Mary Louisa on May 17, 2001

Coronas Cafe
Via del Corso Florence, Italy

Galleria dell'Accademia

Attraction | "Accademia"

I had been to see Michelangelo's David at the Galleria dell'Accademia six years ago, when you were allowed to take pictures! (I've reused my old photo below.) Now, though, there are no photos allowed . . . but there are just as many visitors!

David is impressive, certainly, but I still think his hands and feet are too big for his body. We noted some dust bunnies atop his shoulders--they must not clean him too often. Please stop and study the Prisoners of Michelangelo, who used to stand in the Grotto of the Boboli Gardens (now copies are in their places there). My husband and I enjoyed many of the paintings in the Accademia, but not all are masterpieces. Botticelli's Holy Family is a wonderful sight.

Entrance is 12,000 lire/person ($6), plus a surcharge of $1.50 for advance reservations. We reserved a time ahead (call several weeks in advance) and waltzed up to the reserved ticket entrance, ahead of at least a hundred people! Once you're in that door, keep waltzing up to the ticket booth--don't wait in the line in the hallway. There's a special window inside just for holders of reserved tickets.

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by Mary Louisa on May 16, 2001

Galleria dell'Accademia
Via Ricasoli 60 Florence, Italy
055 238 8609

Galleria Palatina

Attraction | "Galleria Palatina (located in Palazzo Pitti)"

The Galleria Palatina is just one museum within the enormous Palazzo Pitti, on the other side of the Arno in Florence. It houses beautiful paintings in eye-popping settings. The gallery is part of the former Medici residence, also home to Italian royalty of the 19th century, and the decor reflects this former opulence. Entrance is 12,000 lire/person ($6) and tickets are sold until 5pm; the museum closes at 6:00.

The Sala de Saturne is famous for its Raphael's, but they have been moved to the last room because the Sala de Saturne's ceiling fresco is undergoing restoration. In fact, the order of the rooms was backwards from the layout in several of our guidebooks, but we soon figured it out. Galleria Palatina is a manageable-sized museum with much to recommend it. We were a bit pressed for time, but saw all of the rooms in 50 minutes. There are great Titians, dreamy Del Sartos, and luscious Caravaggios, especially his Sleeping Cupid.

You mustn't look down the whole time. The ceiling frescoes in the Sale Venere, Apollo, Marte, Giove, and Saturno are incredible designs by Pietro da Cortona. Don't miss Reni's painting of Cleopatra with her tiny asp in the Sala Apollo. One other room you mustn't miss: the Sala della Stufa, the "hot bath room," with its wall frescoes and tile floor. With bathrooms like these, who needs living rooms?

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by Mary Louisa on May 16, 2001

Galleria Palatina
Piazza Pitti, 1 Florence, Italy 50125
+39 0552388614

Galleria degli Uffizi

Attraction | "Uffizi"

Reserve your ticket ahead if you know what's good for you! We did, and were able to stride right up to the entrance and gain admission in about one minute flat. The price was 15,000 lire/person ($7.50) with a surcharge of $1.50 for the reservation. We also rented the audio guide in English, since the Uffizi is so large and has so many masterpieces. One audioguide with two listening devices (you have to love one another enough to stand close together) cost 12,000 lire ($6). A single audioguide cost 8,000 ($4). With the guide, we were able to cover the museum in about 2 hours and 45 minutes, including a break for espresso in the museum cafe.

This former office complex ("uffizi" means "offices" in Italian) houses some of the greatest masterpieces of Western art. The Byzantine collection is moving--look closely at the stunning detail work on the gold leafing.

The room featuring the Botticellis is quite crowded, as was the case six years ago. But don't let the crowd scare you off. Also study Botticelli's Annunciation in the room before that with his Venus and Primavera.

I particularly enjoyed Holbein's Portrait of Sir Richard Southwell, so realistic that you can see his shaving scars. The Uffizi's corridor grants a stunning view of the Arno and the Ponte Vecchio, but NO PHOTOS OF THE VIEW, as my husband learned from a guard.

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by Mary Louisa on May 16, 2001

Galleria degli Uffizi
Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6 Florence, Italy 50122
+39 05523885

Giardino di Boboli

Attraction | "Boboli Gardens"

The gardens close at 6:30pm in May, and sell the last tickets one hour beforehand. Oddly enough, there is no picnicking allowed there, but there is a lovely Kaffehaus cafe for snacks and light meals with a stunning view. Buy your 4000 lire ticket ($2) inside the Pitti Palace courtyard and enter the gardens at the back (unlike the guidebooks directed).

Initially, the gardens are taxing, because you must walk up and up and up through the amphitheatre and classical relics. Once you have a break to the left, head toward the Kaffehaus and the gardens below. See my photos for the breathtaking view.

We did not have time to hike the gardens in full, and the Fort Belvedere on the site was closed. We did, however, get a look at two of the main attractions of the Gardens, which are currently taped off with ugly white and red plastic and are too near areas of the palace with construction work, in my opinion. Anyhow, the Grotto, a recreation of a natural cave designed by Buontalenti and Vasari, and once containing Michelangelo's Prisoners (now in the Accademia), is a fascinating structure, although we were not allowed inside. The second "must see" in this exit area of the Gardens is the statue of Cosimo I's favorite dwarf, Pietro Barbino, riding a turtle in the nude. Very odd indeed.

For the view alone, I will recommend this spot. If you've managed to find another view at Piazzale Michelangiolo or Fiesole, you could skip this, since there is no picnicking allowed.

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by Mary Louisa on May 16, 2001

Giardino di Boboli
Piazza Pitti 1 Florence, Italy 50122
+39 (055) 2388786

Santa Croce

Attraction | "Basilica di Santa Croce"

This church was just around the corner from our hotel (Ritz), so a visit was easy and relaxing. It is an imposing church, but once inside the serenity is palpable. The open-timbered roof is unique and seems almost rustic.

You must pause to recognize all of the famous people either memorialized or buried here: Michelangelo, Dante, Galileo, Machiavelli, Rossini. There is a faded Donatello sculpture of the Annunciation on the right wall , and some restored frescoes by Giotto in the small chapels on either side of the main altar. Take some coins with you (they are hard to come by these days in Italy) to operate the light machines for better views inside the chapels.

I was able to enter the Franciscan sacristy and look at some more beautiful frescoes and a relic of St. Francis's robe and girdle. It is reserved for prayer, though, and silence is requested.

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by Mary Louisa on May 16, 2001

Santa Croce
Piazza Santa Croce Florence, Italy 50122
+39 055244619

Red Garter

Attraction | "The Red Garter"

This is an odd little thing in the center of Florence--an American style live music club. There's a bar up front, and in back are rows of benches and long tables, a bandstand, and a dance floor. Its rough, red and black decor fits the unpretentious atmosphere. The crowd there was late teens to mid-twenties, I would say (my husband and I and one set of parents were the only ones over thirty, except the staff). The act was a one-man show who played guitar and sang to his canned rhythm section, but he managed to work the crowd into a dancing frenzy. He covered everything from the Beatles to Richie Valens to Ricky Martin to Sting. The kids dancing were a fun combination of American students and Italian youth. The Italians were mesmerized when an American girl exhibited her salsa skills--smooth as silk.

Since cover is free, it might be worth a stop in after 10:30 or 11:00 to see who's playing. But if you're not comfortable among the vibrancy of youth, you might be better off sipping campari at a sidewalk table somewhere else.

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by Mary Louisa on May 16, 2001

Red Garter
Via de' Benci 33R Florence, Italy
055-234-4904

Santa Maria del Fiore ('Duomo')

Attraction | "Duomo-Santa Maria del Fiore"

Dave and I began our tour of the Duomo with a trip up the cupola to look first at Brunelleschi's architectural masterpiece and then onto the city and countryside itself. While waiting in the 45-minute line for our tickets (10,000 lire/person or $5), we were able to study the beautiful white, pink, and green facade of the church and the adjacent campanile (bell tower) designed by Giotto. When time came to make the climb, we ascended up a tiny little staircase, with a few resting points and keyhole windows to pique our interest on the way up. At the halfway point, we were deposited onto an interior balcony ringing the impressive fresco painted on the dome. Take special note of the fellows at the very top hanging their feet over their seats! Seeing it up close rather than from the floor of the Duomo was a revelation--see below the photo of the punishments of damnation that Dave took with his film camera. Then you make the rest of the climb--a very steep one at that. On this segment, you can see how the dome is both an inner structure of brick and an outer one, since you are making the climb BETWEEN the two layers. Then, you climb up into the marble lantern, or observation tower, and view the city. What a lovely site it was, even on a gray day. The round trip up and down took us one hour, but we spent more time than most viewing the fresco from inside the cupola. Don't attempt the trip if you are badly out of shape or are claustrophobic.

The Duomo itself is free for visitors. Construction was started in the 13th century, but it wasn't finished until the 15th! The floors are incredible inlaid marble, as thrilling as the facade, I think. The 24-hour clock by Uccello (whose paintings I adore) just inside the front door is oddly beautiful, but I don't think it was working while we were there. From the floor, as I mentioned above, the fresco on the cupola takes on a different aspect. Christ enthroned becomes the focal point, rather than the damnation that was at our eye-level when we were climbing the dome (see my rather dark photo below). The Duomo had many beautiful chapels lining the walls, but these were roped off for individual prayer. It is a lovely place for a rest.

We did not visit the Duomo Museum, where are deposited many of the works of art formerly decorating the inside of the church.

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by Mary Louisa on May 16, 2001

Santa Maria del Fiore ('Duomo')
Piazza del Duomo Florence, Italy 50122
+39 055294514

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