"I decide to ignore the fact that beautiful young sales lady thinks wife needs extra-firming day cream, and enjoy the most fabulous moisturizer I’ve ever tried (goodbye Boots #7)!"

LOL! Thank you so much for this delightful trip report. DH and I are debating whether to bring our 13 and 15 year old sons to Europe, and this certainly puts it in a realistic perspective! I'm sure it will be a treasured family memory for all of you, and you'll tell the stories for years to come!

What a fabulous report! Can't wait for more

"Reading trip reports is better then chocolate, and yours is better then dark chocolate."
Love that - and I agree.

"I'd been more worried about the impression the gaudy red lipstick and pick sparkle handbag might make. "
:-)

We took a morning train to Florence, arriving about noon. The Florence I remembered from 30 years ago was romantic, with just a bit of an edge. The Florence I found in December was picturesque and comfortable. More “spruced up” from what I remembered. We stayed at Hotel Casci and it was a great choice for us. The kids were immediately comfortable in the relaxed, homey accommodations. We had again booked two rooms and while the furnishings were functional rather than fancy, the rooms were spacious and clean. The atmosphere is friendly but the hotel is not charming or romantic by any stretch. It’s a great place for families, and I’d certainly stay there again with kids because it feels comfortable and safe. This is largely due to the hotel staff who are friendly and helpful. However, there is a little rigidity in the diligent operation that may be off-putting to more independent-minded travelers. They ask guests, for instance, to give their room keys to the front desk before going out. They have a strict prohibition against hand washing clothes in the rooms (the better to actively promote their laundry service). Nothing too horrible.

The only real negative we experienced at Hotel Casci was an over-managed breakfast service. While the breakfast itself is quite good – I really enjoyed the soft boiled eggs – the woman who runs that part of the operation is, as my girls nicknamed her, “the Breakfast Nazi.” We somehow got on her wrong side the very first morning when DH and I showed up without the kids. She clearly had planned a table for 5 and was a bit miffed at having to rearrange things. The relationship never recovered. DH and I felt her eyes boring into our backs whenever we got up to help ourselves to seconds. DH nearly had his wrist slapped when he picked up something from a tray without using the proper utensil. While this nice woman – and she really did seem nice – bustled about getting more coffee and making sure everyone had what they needed, we felt a distinct chill when she checked on us. I verified our low status by noticing the freedom she gave to other guests to get their own coffee or boil their own eggs. She was right by my side the moment I ventured over to the egg cooker. After one scolding, DH and I didn’t even dream of touching the coffee machine.

The location is excellent, however, and this may be the best thing going for Hotel Casci. Not only is the Duomo a leisurely 5-minute stroll away, but there are a number of attractions to recommend Via Cavour itself. First, there’s the horror shop/museum. This is where DD1 picked up a bloody finger necklace and a bloody thumb key chain – both quite life-like (or rather, dead-like). There’s a glorious stationery shop where one can watch Florentine paper being made. There’s an international book store where DD2 – thank God – found an English copy of Harry Potter 5. There are a couple of gift stores with an assortment of reasonably priced scarves, gloves, and jewelry. There’s an excellent bar with tasty sandwiches and a bit of a Middle Eastern flair to the menu. There’s a superb wine and olive oil shop with the lowest priced “sexy” pasta we saw in Florence (DD1 and DD2 stocked up – this was the souvenir of choice for their friends back home). The Leonardo di Vinci museum is on this block of Via Cavour and DH reports that this is definitely worth a visit. Finally, the block is anchored by a McDonald’s (and DD3 reports that, in her humble opinion, this is worth a visit as well).

All in all, we enjoyed Hotel Casci. Just don’t get on the wrong side of the breakfast lady.

Love reading your story !

Still loving your report! Thank you for all the shopping tips!

What a joy to walk the streets of Florence at Christmas time! We head straight for Santa Maria del Fiore. We’re unabashed tourists in Florence: we ogle the street artists, eat freshly roasted chestnuts, get snookered into buying a “dancing” Mickey Mouse that is destined never to dance in our possession. We window shop and people watch.

Tourists swarm the piazza in front of the cathedral. Everyone is posing in front of the Duomo, in front of the Baptistery, in front of the gorgeous Christmas tree. I find the cathedral at its most breath-taking viewed from afar, but the massive interior can’t help but impress. We amble through the inside in a rather aimless way, when suddenly there is a booming “Si-len-ci-o!” “SILENCIO!” For a split second, it’s not unreasonable to think it might be the voice of God himself. The murmuring buzz stops instantly. We exit the church just as the sweet bells from the campanile start ringing.

We head down Via dei Calzaioli and walk right by another Disney store. Grrr. The momentum of the crowd keeps us moving forward, thankfully. Just as we’re stepping into a lovely piazza, a young man in a black leather jacket comes barreling through the crowd, glancing over his shoulder. He continues at a full sprint across the piazza. We’ve barely sorted out what we’ve just seen when another man runs through us in pursuit. The chase scene thrills the older girls; but I’m a bit disconcerted as I realize we’ve just entered Piazza della Signoria where poor Miss Honeychurch witnessed a murder in A Room with a View. No such unsettling scene of violence occurs, however. But perhaps Florence still has a bit of an edge, after all.

We get to the Uffizi. We made reservations through the hotel for Tuesday morning, but the bitter cold is starting to take just a teensy bit of the fun out of our ramble through town. A couple of hours in a museum seemed like a good idea. I’m directed to “Door 3” to change the reservation, but alas, I don’t have the reservation number on me. It’s in my useless notebook; or the notebook that I’ve left uselessly at the hotel. So we opt instead to go to a café for a cappuccino, hot chocolate, and a bite to eat. I really wish I knew the name of the place we stopped in, because I would like to tell you all to be sure to avoid it! It was inviting, it even had what appeared to be local customers inside, and the food LOOKED good….but it was truly awful. I didn’t know one could actually get such a thing as inedible pizza anywhere in Italy. I’m pretty sure it was somewhere on Via Lambertesca, so I would avoid any bars on that street, just to be on the safe side (yes, it was that bad). It WAS warm inside, and that was a reprieve, even if the hot chocolate was undrinkable.

After warming up, we continue on to the Ponte Vecchio. Stepping outside, we hear the coolest music – I can’t even describe it – if I could use the word “groovy” I just might. We come upon a slow moving procession – people are dancing, playing drums, singing. It’s like an amoeba, slowing moving, changing shape, this organic flow of people and music. As we make our way to the nucleus, we see it’s a band of Hari Krishnas. They’re scooping people into the dance circle, and DD3 is offered up. Her older sisters think that’s hilarious, and she goes around a few times before I’m able to rescue her. At the Ponte Vecchio, the shops are boarded up, but the view – that timeless treasure – is there for the taking. The wind is biting cold, though, and we don’t linger long.

starrs, what an unfortunate typo on my part. Obviously, it should be "pink" sparkle handbag!

Next up: "I want to go home!"

Shortly after checking in, the folks at Hotel Casci made dinner reservations for us at Trebbio’s -- not really asking our opinion so much as simply asserting that this was the best place to go. The trattoria is on Via delle Belle Donne, a mere 10-minute walk from the hotel. The helpful front desk manager pulled out a map and placed a dot where the hotel was, a dot where the restaurant was, and marked out the route from the one to the other. We set out at 6:45 for our 7:00 reservation. At ten after seven, we concede that we’re hopelessly lost. It’s been a comedy of errors, really, as each of us takes a shot at leading the rest of us in the wrong direction. I’m usually lead map reader, but I’m eventually relieved of my map reading duties by DH, who is soon fired by DD2. As we stand in the middle of a narrow side street pondering our next move, I’m convinced that the map has either left out some key streets, or the restaurant dot is in the wrong place. An American couple walking up the street hears us deliberating and tells us the restaurant is just around the corner; they had eaten there the night before. Ha! The dot IS in the wrong place! I feel at least partly vindicated. Later, I realize that our (ok, my) initial error was assuming that the tiny alleyway we were supposed to walk down couldn’t possibly be the “street” depicted on the map.

We’re 20 minutes late for our reservation, but it’s still early enough in the evening that they graciously seat us. The restaurant has wonderful character and we’re placed at a great table. The food is terrific. Up to now, the girls have stuck to spaghetti al pomodoro as the entrée of choice. Out of the blue, DD2 goes off script tonight and orders ribollita. (Yay! I silently cheer). I have been dreaming of ribollita since following MRand’s lovely account of his stay in Florence; but now, for some reason, I order something else. I suppose I want my daughter to enjoy the discovery on her own. The food is delicious (did I say that already?) and so is the wine.

It’s a fabulous evening – our best so far in Italy -- with lighthearted sparring, jokes, and general goofiness. We’re really enjoying the meal and each other’s company. We’re all laughing – really laughing! Until DD3 starts crying. At first, I think she’s play acting, intentionally being melodramatic. But no, she’s sobbing – really sobbing! “I miss Bubba,” she sputters. Bubba is the cute little giraffe my mother gave to DD3 when she was a baby. Up until now, Bubba has not held any more significance than the 30 other stuffed animals she has. “I miss Bubba,” she sobs. “I want to go home.”

I have no idea what brought this on and it’s completely unexpected. DD3 has got a bit of diva in her (could you guess?) and can be high maintenance at times. But as a traveler, she is very easy going. Any outing is an adventure. She was SO excited about coming to Italy, and we’re at the end of Day 6 and there has been no whining or moaning (from her, that is). I’m surprised now by the depth of her emotion. I had not paid attention to how overwhelming this type of trip must be to a younger child, even if it’s fun and exciting. This evening her sisters come to the rescue – instead of teasing, they join forces and escalate the goofiness until she’s giggling again.

Back at the hotel, I tell the girls the hotel has DVDs they can borrow. They make DD3 go down the hall to the front desk and ask. She comes back with the first Harry Potter movie. She’s never seen Harry Potter, but knows this is something her sisters would like. The three of them climb into one bed and DD3 is introduced to yet another new world.

Oh, wayfarer! How funny! I didn't even see the typo :-)

LOVING it. Didn't imagine it could get better, but it just did. Bubba :-( Sisters :-) This is just magical!

What a great report.

Tom

I'm enjoying your trip report, and I don't even like trip reports. Thank you.

Oh, that sister bonding made me a little teary! Don't we all just have times we have to break down a little? And to be an eight-year-old in a foreign place, well, even if it's incredibly exciting it can surely be overwhelming. What a fun memory for all your girls to have.

The Bubba Incident - so precious! Took me right back to my mom-ing days. (and isn't it always such a delightful thing when the siblings share a little love)?

Just started to read this-will be back to finish what little I've started.

wayfinder,

Yes I have personally encountered inedible pizza twice in Italy! Once was across the street from the Vatican Museum entrance (I knew to expect bad food, but I was still shocked). Frozen, microwave pizza??? Terrible.

The second time was on the main street in Assisi. I watched them unwrap and microwave it. I ate a couple bites and left the rest.

Shame!

Am back and what a wonderful wonderful TR!

"Just don’t get on the wrong side of the breakfast lady." Made me laugh as we got on the wrong side of our hotel's maitre d' when we thought we'd go to dinner at 9 (just like the Italians) and he was ready to get home early since the Americans always eat so early! We made him miss the football game. We made amends by going early another night and he became our best friend!

As long as we asked our breakfast ladies if we could come in, they were fine and said to sit anywhere. If we presumed, they swooped down on us. Very interesting!

Keep it going soon, please. Hope DD3 has a change of heart!

What a great trip report. It reminds me of our 1st trip to Italy. We had our 15 year old son with us. We took a picture of him staying at the hotel sleeping while DH and I left to tour the Vatican (pick your battles). We have a few pictures of me smiling and DS with a 15 year olds "snarl" on his face. He didn't buy my saying "it's all about the adventure". That was in 1997 and we have a good laugh at it now that he is an adult.

Great trip report!!!!

I actually offered to take my DS (11 years old) to Italy with me this coming Fall so I could show him the wonders of Rome, and to visit my BFF in Italy. However, sadly, he does't feel quite ready to let go of the shirttails of DH and wants to stay home. I guess I will have to wait a few more years of going to Italy on my own (oh darn!)

camelbak, as much fun as I had with my family, I think my next trip will be solo!

travel, snarly or not, it's nice to know that they get a lot more out of it than they let on. I tried to preempt some of the resistance by having each person commit to the trip before we bought the tickets. DD2 almost derailed the entire thing saying she did not want to go over the Christmas break. As much as I wanted to rant and rave, I held off, and two days later, she changed her mind. I said that meant NO complaining, and got at least a half-hearted grunt in agreement. I have to say, I was very proud of how positive she stayed throughout the trip (she can be VERY cranky), and we got some great pictures of her smiling (I have precious few of those since she became a teenager). She was sure to point out, however, that on Christmas Day -- her absolute favorite holiday of the year -- she had peanuts for dinner. "Just saying." Well, I let that one slide too.

DH has made himself handy by using the street view on Google Maps to locate the place where we had that horrible food for lunch during our first day in Florence -- it's on the corner of Via Lambertesca and Via Por Santa Maria. It says in large letters: "Self Service" and there is a yellow "Ristorante" sign down the corner of the building. Best to avoid. :-P

Tagging so that I don't miss out on the rest!

Your report is absolutely charming! I've been reading rather than watching the Final Four! I can't wait for more. We are going to Italy in August...you are whetting my appetite.

Today is the day DD1 is going to Arezzo to hang out with her college housemate. I walk her to the train station so she can catch an early train. We walk down Via Cavour, take a right on Via dei Pucci and run smack into the vendors of San Lorenzo who are just starting to set up their leather wares for the day. Wow, I had no idea the market was practically at our doorstep. We make it to the station without a hitch (DD1 was highly skeptical given the fiasco of the night before!) and get her tickets, with a return arriving about 9:30 pm.

The San Lorenzo market is up and running and I take my time making my way back to the hotel. I rouse everyone and decide we should take a poke through the leather market – purely for the girls’ benefit of course. ;) There’s not a set plan for the day, but I figure we’ll take a quick peek through the leather market, head to Santa Maria Novella, then to the Ponte Vecchio, and up to Piazzale Michelangelo. We spend a leisurely hour or so poking through the stalls – DD2 is having a real good time – she buys a leather belt, earrings, a hair clasp, and a silky lavender scarf. DD3 finds cheesy gifts for loved ones back home (a dolphin salt and pepper shaker for her aunt, a kitty coin purse for her best friend). I buy a pair of black leather gloves. At one point DD3 pulls my sleeve and drags me back about 6 stalls to a vendor selling calendars. She surreptitiously shows me a small calendar featuring sculpted willies. She’s both fascinated and puzzled by it. “Who would buy this?” she wants to know. Hmm. Another good question.

We’re finally satiated, ready to move on, when DH mentions that he saw a nice jacket. “Like the suede jacket I used to have.” He means the one from 30 years ago. We walk by the stall and he shows me the jacket. A brown leather bomber jacket. I smile and nod and keep walking. When I realize he’s not following, I stop and turn to see him still pawing the jacket. Oh, no. He’s serious. Thing is, DH is a big guy. There’s no way these nice jackets hanging in the stall are going to fit him. And they are far more hip than anything that he’s worn in say… 30 years. But the vendor has already taken DH under his wing and is promising that he has just the right size in the store down the street. So…..we go to the store. And DH tries on jacket after jacket. None of them are quite right – but now the store owner is involved, and he sends runners to other stores trying to find the right style in the right size. Luckily there is a comfy couch and chair for us girls to lounge on. As 60 and then 90 minutes pass, I’m surprised to find myself remaining quite calm, not frustrated or impatient as our day’s itinerary slips away. I think I am too fascinated wondering “Who is this man?” This man can’t be my DH – the one who HATES shopping for clothes – who REFUSES to try anything on before buying it – who REFUSES in fact to spend more than 10 minutes in any clothing store whatsoever.

To kill time, DD2 starts trying on jackets. She quickly falls in love with a soft black belted jacket. She’s momentarily conflicted about the morality of making such a purchase, but the jacket is so smart she soon overcomes any feelings of remorse. The store owner sees it as an opportunity to sweeten the pot and gives us a huge discount on the jacket. DH buys it for her (sweet indeed). :) By now though, it’s clear that the options for DH are to either alter an existing jacket or have one custom made. There is much debate and taking of measurements.

The deal is almost clinched, but we’re all starving by now. Promising to return later, we drop off our packages at the hotel and get a quick bite to eat at one of the bars on Via Cavour. The “must do” on the agenda is to get up to Piazzale Michelangelo for that glorious view of Florence. We decide to take the bus, thinking it will be quicker, not realizing that the bus takes the most circuitous route possible from the train station to the piazza. We’re on the bus for a good 45 minutes, but we get some up-close glimpses of the “real” town – as well as some fleeting looks at the beautiful villas and gardens on the way up to the piazza.

Ahhh, that view. This is one of my favorite places to be on the planet. The sun is low in the sky behind the statute of David, casting soft light on the Duomo. Heavenly. But it’s brutally cold and windy up here. We stay as long as we can bear it. The plan is to walk down to the Ponte Vecchio, but first we need to warm up with a cappuccino. There are a couple of little bars set up alongside the piazza, but before we decide what to do, we see a waiting bus and in a rare spontaneous and unanimous motion, we all make a run for it.

Last night I booked our flights to Italy in October. It will be our first trip and I am actually quivering with excitement.

All I can say is......More Please!

Still enjoying your report. And your shopping description fits my DH and my DS as well. (DS has been known to knowingly purchase the wrong size just to get out of the store faster)!

wayfarer- I hope you will take the "breakfast nazi" at face value. She is Karla Lombardi- the owner (with her son, Paulo) of the hotel. She really is an Italian "mama" and treats you like her own. :) She really does care about the guests and I'm thinking she takes great pride in making sure you get your coffee and eggs the way you like them... and that may mean that SHE likes to fix them for you. hahaha

If I came to breakfast alone, she would ask if my daughter was ok. If I said my DD wasn't feeling well, she would send a tray to our room with tea and toast for DD. But she also chided us for taking the train to Siena instead of the bus, and for taking a taxi to dinner one night when it was only a 10-minute walk (we'd been majorly walked out that day!). But I didn't let that keep me from going back. I just looked at it is if she were my "Italian grandma". :)

I've stayed three times at Hotel Casci (including last week) and I just can't see staying anywhere else in Florence. I love the spotless rooms, spacious bathrooms, the price, but mostly the personal service. Even the "breakfast nazi", because I know she only does and says things that she thinks would improve our experience/stay. (She knew my daughter liked double espressos and had one made for her before she'd barely sat down at the table every morning.) :)

Loving your trip report!

We have also stayed at Hotel Casci 3 times. Carla (owner of Casci) wrote us a note for the Accademia on our 1st trip because we had lost our reservations. I felt like I was taking a note from my Mom to school. Her husband, who passed away, was the real "watch dog" of the breakfast area and now I guess she has taken over. She can be as warm as she is tough, I agree. There were many times that she really went out of her way to send us off with free cold drinks or give us a little extra something in the afternoon. I guess she just has a line that can't be crossed :) DH and I say that there are few rules that need to be followed in Italy...BUT if you break the one that shouldn't be broken, you will have an uzi pointed at you!

Sarge and travel, definitely agree she was more like a "mother hen" figure fussing over her charges. Perhaps she just sensed we could be trouble! Like the type of guest that would take trays of breakfast food to the room.... ;)

It’s dinner at Za Za’s tonight. The trattoria has great character and the food is pretty good and reasonably priced. If we had eaten here before Trebbio’s, we would have been even more impressed, I think. There’s a large outdoor seating area that would be lovely in warmer weather and the restaurant opens earlier than many places making it convenient for families with children. All in all, another good recommendation from the folks at Hotel Casci.

On our way to Za Za’s we run into the guy from Raffaello Leather Works. Turns out Za Za’s is at the end of Via Borgo la Noce on Piazza del Mercato Centrale – just a few doors down from the leather shop. Guilt sets in as we haven’t made it back yet. DH is still torn – he really wants the jacket, I can tell, but now that we’re talking custom made, it’s a serious chunk of change. And he’s the kind of guy who thinks spending $40 on a pair of pants is outrageous. By the time we’re finished dinner, it’s too late to deal with it in any case.

DD1 is on her way back from Arezzo so I head to the train station to meet her. I get there two minutes after the train should have arrived, but can’t find her anywhere. I walk around the platform, trying to stay visible. I walk into the cafeteria, into the ticket area, she’s nowhere. She had sent a text saying she was on the train, so where can she be? Stupidly, I’ve left our phone back at the hotel, not dreaming there would be a problem connecting with her in that small station. After 20 minutes of ever more frantic searching, I decide the only thing to do is to go back to the hotel and retrieve the phone. Sure enough, DH helpfully informs me that DD1 has been calling wanting to know where I am. I race back to the station – and still can’t find her! I have to navigate with her on the phone until I’m practically right on top of her. She had been sitting on the floor up against a wall, wearing one of those wooly earflap hats belonging to her housemate – I had probably walked right by her thinking she was some homeless person! She had a super time in Arezzo. I had been sad that she missed the view from Piazzale Michelangelo, but when we download her pictures, I see that she’s experienced some treasures of her own. What countryside! Now I’m jealous.

The next morning, we have our reservations for the Uffizi. The idea is to spend a few hours in the morning at the Uffizi and then catch a train to Pisa and spend the afternoon. We have a day trip to Siena sketched in for the following day. Having been closed on Monday, Tuesday’s crowd at the Uffizi is thick. It’s a 45 minute wait just to get into “Door 3” to pick up our tickets. I forget to ask for the map. This really irritates me, since I had just witnessed a woman who had already gotten her tickets, fight her way back through the crowd, just to claim the map. “I WANT THE MAP!” she screams at her husband who is trying to smooth things over with the people she’s barreled through.

The Uffizi Gallery is lovely. But it’s crowded and that makes the whole looking at the art thing an exhausting competition. Unlike the Vatican Museum, taking photographs is not allowed in the Uffizi, depriving DD3 of her main source of entertainment. She’s tickled to see Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, however. She’s impressed that the museum has the same picture as the one in her hotel room. But the main highlight is a special Caravaggio exhibit – the Medusa is a big hit.

In the gift store, DD2 buys a print of Florentino’s “Angelo musicante” on burlap. DD3 gets a book that catalogues the entire Uffizi collection – and a dress-up David refrigerator magnet. We take turns looking at the book and dressing up David over lunch. By now, it’s getting a bit late to head to Pisa and besides, we still have the leather jacket to sort out. DD1 wants in on the action as well.

Back at Raffaello’s, DH takes the plunge. As measurements and negotiations continue, DD1 takes on a mission of her own – a leather jacket with some edge. Not too much edge, mercifully. There’s one at Raffaello’s she likes (and they offer her a good price), but she’s not quite sold – and having missed the long ordeal of the day before, has no feelings of loyalty to bind her. She and DD2 set off for the other shops and stalls around San Lorenzo. By the time DH wraps up his transaction, DD1 has bargained a respectable 40% off a jacket she likes in another shop (she’s a bit of a hustler herself, so knows how to work it). DH is promised his jacket in four weeks. I’m about 50% confident a jacket will actually arrive. I’m about 10% confident that, should one arrive, it will fit properly.

Pisa is definitely out, so we head back to trusty Via Cavour. DH takes DD1 and DD2 to the Leonardo da Vinci museum featuring reproductions of some of his mechanical inventions. Many of the reproductions are interactive, and everyone seemed to enjoy that aspect the most. There was no eye-rolling from the girls when I asked how they liked it, so I have to assume that it was in fact worth a visit.

I had some mommy time scheduled with DD3. We spent it going to….you guessed it…the Disney Store! DD3 is beyond princesses, so I guess the familiarity of something back home was driving her obsession. I wasn’t thrilled with paying a premium for things we could get back home. It was fun though watching Italian tourists go crazy for a change! DD3 gravitates to the Hannah Montana section. I try to placate her with a notebook that’s on clearance. Nothing doing. She spots a pair of purple sequined and bejeweled Hannah Montana boots with a bit of a heel. And they have her size. She’s already running around Italy with a fuchsia pink sequined backpack and handbag – I’ll have to wear sunglasses just to look at her! Her travel card doesn’t work, so I get stuck paying 34E for a pair of sparkly plastic boots!

We decide to dine at Trebbio’s again. Another great meal! Walking through the streets of Florence at night, the girls coach DD3 on lines from Harry Potter – and she’s got a pretty mean accent to work with. Ringing off the cobblestones, there are cries of: “Me dad’s a muggle, me mum’s a witch, bit of a nasty shock for him when he found out!” and so on. Before we get to the Duomo, we walk into a piazza with a brightly lit carousel. DD3 of course wants a ride. There’s something very surreal about riding a carousel at 10:00 at night in a deserted piazza. In a photo we take, DD3 is leaning back like she’s a cowboy in a rodeo, such that you can see the figure of a demure woman painted on the carousel – the woman has both of her breasts fully exposed – and to the right is a life-sized statue of Santa. It somehow perfectly captures our time in Florence.

Wayfinder45,

Really enjoying your report, I can't wait for the Venice portion of your trip.

Was Rome more beautiful during Christmas?

This is so much fun to read. How did DD3 find the sculpted willies? Funny.

Ah - the "dress up David" refrigerator magnets! Those stayed on our refrigerator for years.

I hope you have pictures of DD3 buying the Hannah Montana boots (something to torture her with later in life).

Love your report! We're looking at taking a Med Cruise next year that departs in Venice and ends in Rome so I'm researching hotels right now.

Also love your "Breakfast Nazi" report. We stayed at a B&B in Napa once where the owner was the same. I preferred the coffee from the single Keurig machine than her home brew. Boy, was she mad about that. Needless to say I was on my best behavior and never touched the Keurig machine if she was around.

What a wonderful report. You have brought back so many memories of our travels to Europe. My girls insisted on the Disney Store as well - but we did not go in Florence but in Rome - and ended up with Mickey sweatshirts from Rome they wore for years.

My youngest of 4 is a horrible traveler over all and still talks about her horrible Christmas in Paris when I MADE her go (she was about 11 as if there was a choice???) - where she "stayed" in the apartment the entire time because she was so sick (she was - we ended up at the American Hospital in Paris!) but alas.. I grinned and grinned at your tales.

Florence is my favorite city in the world... I know many here on Fodors do not care for it - but it was magical for me. I hope to return someday.

MomDDTravel, it's terrible when that kind of thing happens! At least she wasn't yet a teen -- she probably would have really held it as leverage! And at least the trip was memorable for her? ;)

I enjoyed Florence much more than I expected to, to be honest. The historical center was so easily walkable -- compact and flat! The atmosphere was festive with the lights strewn across the narrow streets. And I liked the fact that there were lots of Italians on holiday in the mix. I definitely want to go back and spend more time there -- when it's a wee bit warmer. :)

Cafegoddess, Rome was indeed beautiful, even in all that rain. Or perhaps, especially in all that rain. There was not a lot of holiday glitz -- Rome is much too dignified for that, I suppose. They put their efforts into the presepi or nativity scenes which are quite intricate and elaborate. We saw many of these inside churches (clearly there is a bit of competition with these things) and I loved the fact that Baby Jesus isn't placed in the manger until Christmas morning!

Thanks wayfinder45. I love nativity scenes!

Is DD3 enjoying her purple sequined and bejeweled Hannah Montana boots?

I have had leather jackets custom made for me in Florence and mailed to me. They did not charge extra saying "we make anyway". The last jacket I bought arrived and the sleeves were too short. I called (not an easy task with the time difference and language barrier) to tell them. I was expecting no help, but they had me remeasure, fax it and they sent me a new jacket (that fit)! They did not want the "mistake" back, so I had the sleeves removed and I have a leather vest that I absolutely love! Hope your husband's coat fits. I always struggle whether to get one, but when you are hard to fit? Do it!

wayfinder - I am addicted to your posts and think your writing style is fantastic. I'm dying to find out if the jacket arrived and if it fit.
My DH and I are off to Italy in 24 days, but who's counting... to celebrate our 30th anniversary. It will be our second trip, so I guess tossing the coin into the Trevi fountain in 2007 paid off. This time we are not bringing any offspring with us however.

Do you remember where you went for the leather jackets? That's the #1 thing on my "to buy" list for my visit to Florence next month.