Frozen_North_Dave

It was my wife’s brilliant idea to consider a one week family vacation to Florence Italy during the off-season. My oldest teenage daughter was available for her spring break and it was likely to be the last family vacation for a while. The idea of Florence in February had never crossed my mind but as usual, my wife knows best. Our 8 day/7 night trip, with the entire week in Florence was an incredible experience.

What follows are our top 25 tips and comments. Most guide books for Italy mention the benefits of visiting the major centres in the off-season and now we understand why – especially for a place like Florence where, even in February, crowds are considerable and careful planning is required. Some of my comments are obviously applicable to visiting in the busy season as well. A warning – this is a bit long – skim, skip or read as you wish.

1. Consider Travelling in the Off Season: The obvious first tip. When researching and planning our trip, the first thing I noticed was the lower costs of certain parts of the budget. Air fare and hotels were noticeably cheaper. The fewer number of tourists were immediately obvious – we enjoyed the benefit of every gallery at The Museo dell’Opera del Duomo in almost complete privacy one late afternoon. It seemed like we were being spoiled. Imagine, if you will, being alone with your family – four art lovers – and enjoying the beauty of Michelangelo’s Pieta and Donatello’s wooden statue of Mary Magdalene in complete seclusion. Not one other tourist intruding. It can often be exasperating trying to secure a vantage point to enjoy the art work at the museums and churches among the crowds. Florence in the off-season will give you a much-relaxed opportunity to appreciate the beauty and magnificence of what you came to see without fighting the crowds. Still, the museums and major sites were often very busy at times – we had to be patient to enjoy some pieces at some museums and locations, but the crowds were light. We commented more than once: “Can’t imagine what this place is like in July”. In speaking with staff at different places they mentioned how much more relaxed and less stressed everyone in the city was in the off-season. It was usually effortless to get a table at restaurants. Often we seemed to be the only non-locals around. That’s a bonus when you are hoping to capture the unique character of Florence while on vacation as a tourist.

2. Florence Deserves a Week: Everyone’s approach and interests in travelling are different but there is so much to see, and enjoy in Florence that we easily filled our eight full days in Florence and still did not see everything! We’ve embraced the “slow travel” movement in vacationing which for us means trying to see the major historical, architectural, art and popular sites that are “must-sees” when visiting a country but setting aside a good part of our vacation time for activities such as long, leisurely walks or hikes, sitting in a café or wine bar for an afternoon, attending food markets, visits to wineries, or just sitting and doing nothing and taking in the sights. There is much that we still want to see and do in Italy, but we loved the opportunity to see most everything that Florence has to offer without being rushed and, at the same time, enjoying lots of time relaxing in the wine bars and restaurants. (See Number 21 below.)

3. Dress the Part of a Florentine: One of the best suggestions we read, and now pass on, in visiting Italy is how to plan your wardrobe. Certainly not all visitors are inclined to devote such energies to “blending in” while on vacation but my wife and daughters felt this was a priority and I went along for the ride. With three fashion-conscious divas as my travel companions, it was no hardship for them to ensure that they were wearing their most fashionable clothing for that week (or shopping to ensure that the suitcase was appropriately packed). It was more about what we didn’t bring - no running shoes, sweatshirts, chinos, Tilley endurables, fanny packs, back-packs, camera cases, or anything that screams “Hey I’m a Tourist” (even though we are!) What a difference. The ultimate compliment was to be spoken to in Italian in almost every place we went – we obviously looked cosmopolitan enough for the Florentines! One unexpected benefit – as long as we weren’t speaking English loudly while walking about the streets, the ever-present street vendors and hawkers that invade most tourist areas left us completely alone. You are obviously less of a target for the pickpockets as well.

For my wife and daughters, the wardrobe included a fashionable dressy coat, scarves (a must in the winter), good leather gloves, a trendy-enough handbag, and above all – stylish boots and shoes. As with most urban Italians, every Florentine, from the teenager to the senior citizen knows their footwear, and they wear it well. Comfortable but trendy shoes and boots are essential. Stylish jeans and slacks, sweaters, layered clothing, some well chosen jewellery, were all selected with mix-and match combinations which minimized the volume of packed clothes. For myself, dressy jeans, a couple of pairs of black slacks, a leather jacket, a Banana Republic black jacket, turtlenecks, a couple of ties, scarves (you gotta have a scarf tied just the right way) a pair of Cole Haan dress shoes and some dress boots completed my wardrobe. And the single most important accessory – a good leather “Man Bag”. Messenger bags or men’s bags are very common for men in most European cities. I got mine in Florence. I always carry a Patagonia sling bag when travelling but it just didn’t fit in here in a cultured Italian city. My leather “Murse” or “Man Purse” (as my daughters called it) was large enough to accommodate my wallet, our camera, and the basics for a day of touring – but apparently stylish enough to identify me as a Florentine. Worth its weight in Gold.

People watching in Florence is an interesting European fashion show. Street life is a never-ending parade of impeccably dressed ladies and gentlemen and I must say that “fitting in” made us feel just a little less like tourists and a lot more like locals.

4. Go to Mass: This may sound like a strange tip while on vacation but it was one of the most memorable experiences in Florence. My wife also gets credit with this one. There is an online listing of the masses and services at the Duomo each week. ( http://www.duomofirenze.it/attivita/liturgical.htm ) We originally thought the English mass on Saturday evening would be worthwhile but my wife learned that on Sunday morning there is a mass in Gregorian chant. Only those attending service are allowed to enter the Cathedral. Hundreds of seats were set up in the nave, but before mass began, one of the priests came forward to invite the small crowd forward into the seating area (that was reserved for the upper classes of the city) near the high altar under the crossing directly under the dome and in front of the altar. The choir was small, the mass was mostly in Italian (though we were able to follow the leaflet and missile through the responses) and the setting was quite intimate. You could not help but marvel at the fact that you were sitting in seats reserved for the elite aristocracy of the city in centuries gone by. Sitting near the altar we also had a wonderful view of side aisles and apse areas of the Duomo that were closed off to the public during regular visiting hours. The absolute highlight of the experience was sitting in the enormous Cathedral, and under the Dome designed by Brunelleschi to hold thousands of the devoted, and listening to the beautiful strains of Latin Gregorian chants floating up to the high reaches of the Duomo’s interior. It was an incredible experience to enjoy this Renaissance architectural wonder as it was meant to be enjoyed and used – as a church, and not as a tourist attraction. Non-Catholics are certainly welcomed but I think that there was a polite reminder that the sacrament of communion was for members of the faith.

5. Climb the Duomo - Early in the Day: You have to be in fairly good, (but not exceptional) shape and non-claustrophobic. If the stairs are crowded the congestion may be unnerving for some people, and the last few steps up the ladder to the exterior of the lantern require a bit of agility, but its not that big of a deal. We went right at opening (which varies) in the morning. It was a glorious day of sunshine and the views are spectacular. If you’re interested, before you go, read Ross King’s “Brunelleschi’s Dome – How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture” which is a terrific history of how the Cathedral and Dome came to be built and the artistic and architectural culture of Florence in the 1400’s. Climbing through the interior layers of the dome was all the more interesting, knowing how it was built (that herringbone brick work). The photo ops at the top of the lantern are unique. Dress warmly if it is early morning during the winter – we all had very rosy cheeks in our pictures!

6. Climb the Campanile – Early in the Day: A lot of people pick one or the other – we did both climbs – two days in a row, and enjoyed both experiences. The enclosed fencing at the top of the tower makes the experience a little less “natural” than the views from the lantern above the dome. Again, great views, neat close-up views of the architecture of the Duomo, and more rosy cheeks.

7. Visit An Enoteca / Wine Bar – or… “Stop and Sniff the Vino”: We fell in love with the wine bar experience. For my wife and I it was a bit of a treat, after years of travelling as a family, to have our grown daughters now joining us for the civilized pleasures of tasting good wine. We visited 3 or 4 during the week. At the first enoteca, a little hole in the wall off a side street (every street seems to be a side street in Florence!) near the Piazza Santa Croce, we spent three relaxing hours sipping some great wines and nibbling some good antipasto, cheeses and dried meats. We were seated (which is not the way the Florentines do it) at a small table and got the chance to sample our first Vino Nobile Montepulciano, and a couple of other recommended wines. It was interesting to see local residents and business people, sliding in and up to the bar for 10 minutes, grabbing a quick glass of wine and a chat, and then out the door and on their way. With my busy Canadian business work schedule I could only think – what would life be like with the likes of this kind of friendly neighbourhood enoteca around the corner back home – where for a couple of bucks I can enjoy a glass of some of the planet’s best vino! We found another great (but slightly more trendy and touristy) enoteca just a few doors down from the entrance to the Opera del Duomo Museum. Not sure that there are any “bad” wine bars so just find one frequented by locals and you can’t go wrong. Stop and sniff the vino!

8. Get Advance Tickets for the Uffizi: We were surprised at the number of people standing in line to buy tickets – especially since the crowds that day were relatively minimal. Considering how easy it is to get advance tickets (our hotel was happy to obtain them for us in advance), there is no reason not to buy them ahead of time, unless your visit to the Uffizi happens to be a spontaneous one. In order to enjoy all that the Uffizi has to offer, wasting any time in a line up for nothing isn’t worth it.

9. The Uffizi: A must see. Florence can be a sensory overload to begin with – but taking in one museum that has so much Renaissance art crammed into one (large) space was dizzying. What amazed me was the extent to which the architecture of the buildings and rooms themselves are so impressive. Hallway after hallway, room after room, it is difficult to take it all in. The Uffizi guide book, which we purchased, is worthwhile (available through Amazon I believe). One part of the gallery which we enjoyed is the upper third level hall area overlooking the River. At this point, you get magnificent views of the Ponte Vecchio and other bridges stretching across the Arno river.

10. Stroll Like A Florentine: Just walking in Florence is an experience to savour. In the evenings, and on Sunday, the city residents stroll the streets and piazzas arm in arm, shopping, chatting, visiting cafes, and completing the promenade. Everyone is appropriately dressed of course – nothing like running out to the local mall, or the near-by 7-11 in your jeans or track pants. On Sundays, entire families were out and about. In the evening, with the lights glowing and all of the major buildings illuminated it was quite magical. By this time of the evening all the tour buses and large crowds of tourists seem to have dwindled and are replaced by the city residents. This was a great time to enjoy the ambiance of the city, have an espresso or a glass of wine and take in the architectural Renaissance wonders of Florence. There are also some great “Living Statue” buskers along the streets.

11. The Academia and Michelangelo: The Academia was smaller than I expected, but of course the star attraction is worth every penny. Entering the main gallery and seeing David towering above the crowds at the end of the hall, is very cool. This is not to say that the other statuary and art work are to be quickly by-passed (though it seems that many people sadly do that). Again, the crowds were fairly low that day and we were able to relax for almost an hour taking in this incredible artistic marvel from all sides. We collectively looked at every vein, muscle, eyeball, limb, nipple, hair, body-part and nether region that Michelangelo coaxed from one massive piece of marble. The sheer physical power and artistry that was required to reduce a hulk of rock to a thing of beauty balanced on one leg is just so neat – (“neat” admittedly being a wholly inadequate and out-of-context word to describe one of the planet’s most impressive works of art)

12. Eat at Trattoria Mario: This is one of those “secrets” you’re afraid to let out for fear that the onset of the tourists might somehow ruin the place. (It doesn’t really matter since there seemed to be an equal number of tourists to residents each day.) Trattoria Mario, in the square behind the Market near San Lorenzo is really no secret and it has been referred to, and highly recommended, in a number of guide books and on the web. Mario’s serves only lunch and arriving after 12:00 will likely mean waiting in line for a seat to vacate. With a tiny glassed-in kitchen, and small tables and stools crammed in one mid-sized room, lunch at Trattoria Mario is not really an intimate, dining experience – but its great fun and great comfort food served fast and simple. Sharing tables is expected. One day I was rubbing elbows (literally) with one of the butchers from the market. They have a web site at http://trattoria-mario.com/index_english.html. I’m usually a bit leery of restaurants with web sites but have to remind myself that nowadays everyone is on the web. The first day I had melt-in-your mouth veal strips in the tastiest of juices. Their ribollita is awesome – I’ve been trying to replicate it since coming home. My daughters shared their Steak Florentine on the last day – always served very rare. They devoured it. Each pasta was terrific, all washed down with a carafe or two of their great house wine. My wife, who isn’t much of a drinker, ordered seconds of the vin santo and biscotti each time we went. Throughout the week, when the question was pondered as to where we would eat, the answer was usually “Lets do Mario’s Again!”. Since the menu changes daily and is hand written on the wall, the food never got repetitive through the week.

13. Stay at Hotel Casci (or a good budget hotel): The cost of accommodation in Florence can be hefty particularly when looking for two rooms for seven nights. In this case, considering the minimal amount of time spent in the room, our priorities were a good location, a tasty European breakfast, comfortable rooms, all at a reasonable cost. Hotel Casci fit the bill, and was excellent. The family operating this lovely little hotel on the upper floor of a building located on Via Camilla Cavour – within sight of the Duomo and convenient to many of the churches and museums, (and Trattoria Mario) – are very pleasant, helpful and accommodating. They arranged for our tickets to the Uffizi, assisted with advice and maps and were always welcoming throughout the week. The building is within one of the many palaces owned by the Medici family with plenty of character. It has a central core elevator. The breakfast room is lovely with a painted ceiling, and breakfast was not elaborate, but tasty – great cappuccinos. Internet was available and convenient. Rooms were clean, quiet, comfortable and we had the feeling of being honoured guests in someone’s home. We would highly recommend Hotel Casci as a great small hotel in Florence. So much so, that we’re already booked to stay here again for a couple of days when we are passing through Florence on our next trip.

14. The Bargello: We voted the Bargello as our second favourite museum after the Museo l’Opera del Duomo. The statuary collections are amazing and well laid out. The inner courtyard itself is an attraction. Donatello’s David was the highlight and it was great to see the bronze “in the flesh” (so to speak) after seeing the statue in art history books over the years. I had not realized the number of Michelangelo’s works that were located here. One very cool opportunity was the chance to inspect Brunelleschi and Ghiberti’s famous competition pieces for the baptistery doors up close. The crowds were not even near the size of the crowds at the Uffizi, and in some of the smaller galleries we were often by ourselves.

15. Fly Into Florence If Possible: When looking at flight options, there are only so many airlines that fly directly into Florence. The necessity of wasting the better part of half a day on train connections to Pisa (both ways) didn’t appeal to us, so we specifically looked at airlines flying direct to Florence. Many airlines fly to the European hubs (such as Frankfurt, Zurich, London etc) with connections direct to Florence. We flew Lufthansa, and had very short connections times to Florence. The advantage is that within 20 minutes of landing at Florence’s small airport we were checking into our hotel. More and more airlines have connector flights to Florence. It’s worth looking into this option depending on your airport of origin if flying from North America.

16. Visit the Market Centrale: This is a great place to visit, particularly if you want to stock up on some great Italian food products to bring home. I stuffed my suitcase with the most amazing sundried cherry tomatoes, larger tomatoes and a variety of porcini mushrooms – we hoarded them like gold when we got back for special pasta dishes and sauces. A number of the vendors will shrink wrap what you buy so they are light, transportable and kept very fresh. There are a number of vendors, but the shops seemed to close up mid afternoon in February so it’s best to hit the market early in the day. There are also some great “”fast food” vendors located here, one of which has excellent sandwiches. We also bought some pecorino cheeses at the market, and because they provided the service of shrink wrapping them, they arrived home fresh and edible. Unfortunately I made the mistake of purchasing a beautiful hunk of prosciutto to bring home to Canada – land of the fascist food rules. See Number 24 below.

17. The Museo l’Opera del Duomo: We LOVED this museum, partly because of the pure luck of timing and the fact that this turned out to be one of our “best-est” days ever in Florence. We had spent the early part of the day in another part of the city and on our way to the museum, happened across a wine bar just down the street from the entrance, behind the Duomo. It was very quiet and the very helpful and congenial fellow who looked after us (and again for 3 further visits thereafter!) guided us through some great choices for vino. Fortified and happy with good wine and snacks in our bellies we arrived at the museum in mid-afternoon. Describing the museum as deserted would be a bit of an exaggeration, but it was certainly not busy. My wife and daughters and I however enjoyed the almost surreal experience of admiring Michelangelo’s second Pieta which is located in it’s own niche along one of the staircases, for close to a half hour without anyone joining us. Softly lit and capable of being viewed from all sides, the statue is stunning, and is all the more intriguing by the fact that Michelangelo’s self portrait is supposedly the face of Nicodemus and that Michelangelo mutilated the statue. The museum was absolutely quiet and peaceful. We then continued on to Donatello’s wooden statue of Mary Magdalene (one of my favourite pieces of Renaissance art) which is positioned facing a sorrowful, but lovely, wooden crucifix. We were again complexly alone and it was very much like a private viewing for our family. Describing it as a “religious experience” would likely be overstating our afternoon at the Duomo museum, but nevertheless appropriate considering the content of the art. We would highly recommend including this museum to anyone visiting Florence.

18. Do Some Advance Reading (and/or bring along an Art History Student): “Overwhelming” is how we all described our week in Florence. Absorbing such a massive volume of Renaissance and medieval painting, architecture, statuary and historical artifacts became somewhat of a blur after a while. Keeping it all straight was a challenge - “If this is the Strozzi Chapel I must be in Santa Maria Novella”. As you’ve gathered, we’re a family of art lovers. Although collectively, we had a fair amount of background knowledge, we all found that some advance reading such as Ross King’s book on Brunelleschi’s Dome or the Art of Florence and a number of the guidebooks made all of the art and history being viewed just a little more digestible each day. (Also recommended is Sarah Dunant’s novel “The Birth of Venus” which is a great historical novel set in Florence.) I made up “cheat sheets” to keep everything organized, which was basically a collection of summaries from the different guidebooks. Even with all the advance prep work, when we were comparing notes at the end of the day, we sometimes confused ourselves as to what we had seen and where. We had one bonus tour guide with us. My eldest daughter had elected her minor in art history and had completed three courses in Renaissance art history. Every so often during the week she was able to regurgitate a tidbit or two from lectures or studies. We also had a bit of a laugh on the day we surreptitiously “lurked” around an art history class in Santa Maria Novella as the professor was giving his guided tour. The point of this “tip” is that if you are so inclined, there are lots of books and guides specifically on Florentine art, and Wikipedia has great resources, all of which can make a singular tour of Florence’s art a little more manageable to digest. Don’t get me wrong -- even if you don’t have the obsessive-compulsive type “A” personality that I obviously have, the quality and quantity of Florence’s treasures are such that you can also just show up and “enjoy the ride”.

19. The Palazzo Vecchio: We enjoyed the Palazzo Vecchio – it was a bit different in “flavour” as a public institution. The enormity of the building, especially the public hall, Salon dei Cinquecento” was a bit of surprise. So was the discovery of yet another of Michelangelo’s statues, the “Statue of Victory”. It seemed to go largely unnoticed by the visitors passing through. The number of different rooms, the architectural details, the long staircases, and volume of paintings, frescoes, statues, is quite something. At one point we were joined by a school group being led by a teacher. The kids were not more than six years old – if that - but yet they listened intently as the teacher pointed out paintings and architectural details with commentary. The very idea that small school children in Florence have the opportunity to simply pass through such an art enriched environment at such a young age on a school outing, no doubt explains why Italians and especially Florentines seem to be so in touch with their culture and history. Back home in northern Ontario, Canada, the most that our local elementary school kids can expect on a field trip is a visit to the fire station, or the local polar bears in the Habitat. But I digress. The Palazzo Vecchio is a landmark building and definitely one of the museums to visit.

20. Cash and Banking: I discovered a few money-while-vacationing lessons while on this trip. First, that my bank had apparently (and unilaterally), for security purposes, reduced the “per day” withdrawals through debit. This led to cash access problems and the necessity of a call home. Next, I discovered that Visa had put a freeze limit on my card because of the “sudden” use of the card in Europe. That required another call to confirm that yes, I was on vacation and using the card, so lifting the freeze would be of great assistance to us in paying for our vacation than-you-very-much. Then, for some strange reason, my debit card would not work at a number of the ATM’s around the city. We’d never encountered this type of problem in Greece and even the smaller Greek Islands. This limitation meant travelling to the same, reliable ATM machine near the Palazzo Vecchio to access cash. None of this was really that big of a deal. When I returned home and talked to my local bank about all of this I was reminded that before leaving home we should always call the bank and tell them that we’re travelling so they can note this and ensure that the credit limits are appropriate for our intended spending. (Banks apparently sometimes unilaterally “change” withdrawal limits, for your own protection and you have to reset the daily or weekly limits). As well, calling your credit card company and telling them where you will be travelling assists them in monitoring usage and credit card fraud. Lessons learned for our next trip.

21. The “Free Art” of the City and Streetscapes: The City is packed with streetscapes, statuary, architecture, bridges, paintings, monuments, and vistas around every corner and vantage point. Just walking through Florence is a wonderful experience. (Watching out for speeding Vespas is however a must!) We travelled over four of the bridges, just to enjoy the different vantage points. Statues and fountains are in every Piazza and most are phenomenal. One of my favourite pictures is a photo I took of a statue of Machiavelli near the Piazza Santa Croce, with a little bird on his head. There were numerous street artists selling their paintings and sketches. My daughters enjoyed just window shopping in buildings that were hundreds of years old, with thousand dollar outfits in the latest Milan fashions. (“No we can NOT go in the shop my lovelies!”, says Dad.) Although we weren’t travelling anywhere by train, I ran over to check out the Santa Maria Novella Train station one day. The Italian Modernism murals and unique architectural details from the Mussolini era (Il Duce was a bugger but he sure instigated some impressive public buildings!) are worth checking out. The Ponte Vecchio is of course a destination of its own. We sat on a wall and enjoyed the view of the bridge, with a dish of (heavenly) gelato one afternoon, across from the rowing club. At a hundred points within the city, you can just stop, and marvel at the architectural detail on a building, view the odd bronze sea creatures cast in a fountain, glimpse a view of a faded fresco on a portico, or relax and watch a street performer. Layer upon layer upon layer of history and art and culture are jammed into a relatively limited number of city blocks. I recognize that many visitors to Italy are limited to only a day or even a few hours in Florence and try to see the “highlights”. Florence however has so much to offer outside of the “attractions”, that setting aside a week is an experience to savour. Our advice: If you’re planning two days in Florence, then make it three. If you’re planning three days, then make it four. If you can, Florence is worth every additional minute you can give her.

22. Walk The Hills for a Day – Visit a Cemetery: On our last day in Florence, it was cool, but the sun was shining and it was a great day for a walk. We put on our finest duds, wrapped our scarves around our necks and spent the day strolling through Florence, up through the park and walkways on the far side of the river up to the Piazza di Michelangelo overlooking the city and then continued on to the church of San Miniato al Monte. On our way back we followed an alternate route and entered the city through the old gate where we found an excellent trattoria and settled in for (another) great meal. (Sadly we forgot to remember the name of the place). It was a wonderful, relaxing day. The views, and our photos, from the lookout areas were well worth the walk, and the stroll through the walkways and park area between the upper Piazza and the riverfront up to the lookout was exercise but very pleasant. The Piazza is packed with souvenir stalls and tour buses, and a little frenetic, but the views make it worthwhile.

Continuing on to San Miniato al Monte was the real highlight of our walk. This lovely, very different, cloister, church and the Bishop’s palace are high on the hill overlooking the city and is very beautiful. The sombre, crypt-like interior of the lower areas of the church are unique (bring some Euros to activate the lights) My daughters were inclined to relax in the forecourt and take pictures but my wife and I went round the back to the incredible cemetery that surrounds the rear and side of the Church. The sculptures, artwork, and mausoleums are worth the visit. Beautiful marble sculptures of angels, children, animals, saints, and every manner of soul and the dearly departed are stretched across acres and acres of beautiful maintained grounds, criss-crossed with lanes and walkways. There was no mistaking the fact that this cemetery is located at the epicentre of Italian Renaissance sculpture. There is an amazing bronze modern-art sculpture of Christ on the Cross that seems a little out of place amidst the classical styled sculpture but it is quite striking. The most touching and endearing gravesite that we saw was one that contained two life-size marble statues of a couple. A delicate beautiful young lady, in what appears to be a flowing wedding dress is entranced with her husband. She stands facing him with her arm delicately extended towards him. Her noble, handsome husband is dressed in military uniform, and obviously, equally infatuated with his bride, and stands smiling looking into her eyes. They appear frozen in time. The grave site was very touching by the fact that this obvious monument to “true love” for this young couple will endure for centuries. For us, it made the “ordinary” slab monuments of our cemetery back home pale by comparison. If you have a chance, check out the cemetery of San Miniato.

23. Churches, Churches, Churches: It is impossible to summarize which ones are “best” to see. It is remarkable how many churches there are in Florence and how different they are. The Brancacci Chapel and the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine with the mural of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden was one of our favourites – despite battling a large intrusive Italian Tour Group that refused to respect the 15 minute limit allotted for the Chapel. The Medici Chapel, and Michelangelo’s New Sacristy was the best – we spent so much time there that we missed getting into the adjacent church of San Lorenzo. Santa Maria Novella was also on our “top-ten” list. We discovered during the week that photography is permitted in some churches, but not in others. You have to check each one – or get yelled at by the “photo police” – to know where the camera is allowed.

24. Warning – Be Careful what you Buy to Bring Home -- Ridiculous Canadian Food Regulations: As a family of foodies, we loved the winter-time foods of Florence and so bringing back some of Italy’s best ingredients was a priority. We bought virtually no souvenirs except for sunglasses – the rest of the purchases were food, wine and olive oil. One of the things I wanted to bring back was some of the incredible prosciuttos that we tasted through the week. One of the vendors at the Market had a huge selection and would shrink wrap them. As these were dried, shrink-wrapped meats, I reasoned that this couldn’t possibly be an item on the Canadian draconian list of prohibited food stuffs. BIG mistake. I bought a 40 Euro slab of beautiful prosciutto only to have it confiscated at Canadian Immigration in Toronto. The experience was made all the more unpleasant by the unusually ignorant and rude customs officials at Pearson that afternoon (seemed everyone took their cranky pills). The eventual young man who actually inspected the luggage and relieved me of my Italian meaty treasure was the only exception and he was very pleasant, sympathetic and apologetic as he unceremoniously dumped my purchase into the waste basket, apologizing for the strict Canadian rules for meats. I love my country, but how dumb is this rule. My wife and kids comforted me as I whined about the fact that my expensive prosciutto would end up in Toronto’s landfill site being enjoyed by a flock of satisfied crows happy to be “doing Italian tonight”! Other civilized Europeans are able to share the amazing food products of the Mediterranean without interference, but somehow the presence of foreign dried smoked meats in “my home and native land” is considered potentially harmful. Perhaps the U.S. customs and import laws are not so draconian, but Canadian travellers beware!

25. Read The Fodors Forums: The no-brainer tip for last. With our fourth trip to Europe (London, Siena, Florence and Cinque Terre) coming up, we have learned and discovered so much from our fellow travellers on these boards. I sometimes scold myself that I don’t get on more often and provide more information, (yes, I “lurk”) since I’ve received so much helpful info on the various boards. If you’re reading this post– you already know this.

Dave

kybourbon

Meats and fruits are not allowed into the US either. I believe incineration is required so as not to spread insects/diseases so don't think it will go to the landfill.

ellenem

"Perhaps the U.S. customs and import laws are not so draconian, but Canadian travellers beware!"

FYI, U.S. customs would have done the same.

Great list! So many ideas that I have also enjoyed. I recall having the same feeling about those young lover statues in the cemetery when I first saw them 25 years ago.

taconictraveler

An unusual and most interesting trip report, Dave. Many thanks for taking the time to post it.

I've been to Florence four times, and I still haven't seen some of the sites you saw. I guess one could go every year - it is a treasure of a city.

Your choice of hotel is a new one to me. I'll check it out.

emerald125

Fantastic and really useful info... I will be in Florence for the first time in 3 weeks and will try to put this to use

mamcalice

What a wonderful trip! We are returning to Florence for the sixth time this fall and, while we have seen most of the sights you mention, I look forward to each time we visit. There is so much memorable to do and see in Florence that even a week isn't enough. Thanks for your thoughtful list.

Andeesue

You should be a travel writer! What a great report! It's been 25 years since I've been to Firenze...I'm ready to return during the off-season. Thanks for sharing!

Ann1

This was so much better than a trip report. I hope people who say they don't like Florence will read it. They will see what they are missing. There's still so much more. I have spent a lot of time living and visiting Florence and love every inch of it.

pixiedeb

Thanks for this great report. I am travelling to Florence in about a month. In planning, I have been having difficulty in deciding in an extra day in Florence or a brief stay in Venice. Venice is my true love, but adding the extra travel segment for a total of 1.5 days in Venice has been problemmatic. Also, I have been suspecting I might want to give Florence more of a chance. With your great report and encouragement, I will! Thanks again.

PRLCH

A great report! I agree with almost everything you said, only you saw a few places we did not. 29 years ago I saw Florence for the first time on a bus tour where "it is Wednesday so we must be in Florence". My view then was "I don't care if I never see Florenec again!". This winter we spent 15 days based in Florence - learning Italian, people watching, seeing the sights, experiencing the food, attending mass in teh Duomo ... what a great time! While not a personal fan of the Uffizi, we fully endorse your praise of the Bargello and Academia.
Thank you for posting this!

raincitygirl

Thanks for this great report! We didn't get to Florence on our first trip to Italy but we definitely will on the second trip.

tedgale

Nice trip report. I am just finalizing our plans for 4 nights in Florence (March 12-16, 2010). We will overlap briefly w/ my Manhattan-based brother and his wife, who are flying in from London.

As she is a painter, I want to see Florence through her eyes this time.

They come annually. We, not so often, though we were there in March 2009 and March 2007.

One recommendation I will add is the Ferragamo Museum. It is under the Ferragamo shop -- I think it is near the Ponte S.ta Trinita'.

I have not visited it but my spouse has ...and swears it is one of the most fascinating things in Florence:

Shoe lasts for all the Hollywood stars (incl. Nicole Kidman -- HUGE!!) Platform wedgies that Lana Turner wore in The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946). Invoices to Joan Crawford, Bette Davis. A pair of the original ruby slippers.... well, you get the picture.

Barb65

Dave
Thanks for your wonderful insights and suggestions. we will be in Florence for 5 days in April and look forward to it.

Not sure I will follow the clothing advice (not my style on a trip!) but will certainly keep in mind many of your other suggestions. very helpful!

Thanks.
Barb

teacherCanada

F_N_D - what a wonderful view of Florence. Thank you for sharing. I am fortunate enough to be able to escort a school group to Florence in March 2011 - but sadly we will be there for only two days. It looks like we just won't have any time for sleeping with all the great ideas you have offered. I am already excited to be visiting Florence for the first time - this whets my attitude even more.

tC

Samsaf

What a wonderful report! We've visited Florence for only one day, and this makes me want to return for a longer visit.

hanabilly

What a great trip! A good example of how to spend a short vacation- don't try to see it all! Just see it well! I'm sure your daughters had a great time that they will remember forever. However, that being said, I have to say I get a little anxious just reading about a trip with the family. Vacations with my dad always felt a little more like hostage situations.
Great report!

Frozen_North_Dave

Thanks for the comments - I'm a little late checking back.

Hannabilly - I loved your note: - "Vacations with my dad always felt a little more like hostage situations." My two daughters would likely agree and tell you that the hostage analogy was somewhat appropriate some days. It wasn't quite gunpoint, but threats of bodily harm were necessary some mornings to keep the hair dryer sessions at UNDER a half hour and get them up and out the door. The response was: "Dad - one MUST look good in Florence". Sigh. Still we managed to pack it all in.

Cheers

Dave

cmcfong

Museo l’Opera del Duomo is definitely at the top of my list for my short time in Florence. Donatello's Mary Magdalen is a favorite of mine as well. I have visited the Uffizi and the Academia before. I will be traveling with the totally unengaged by art DH on this trip so one museum will probably have to do and this looks like the perfect choice. Thank you!
Lots of good information, but one thing still to ask...what was your favorite gelato?

CSteff

Great list, best argument against people say that one/two days are enough. I had lunch at Trattoria Mario - a genuine Florentine experience.

julia1

Dave, your list brought back lovely memories of a week in Florence in winter several years ago, and I agree, it is a perfect city break in the tourist off-season. And Hotel Casci! One of my favorite places to stay in Florence - now everyone will know about it! What a great trip you had - thanks for sharing!