Italy
- Thread starter rickw
- Start date
sure i have recommendations:
enjoy it
enjoy it
When you're in florence, catch the train out to san giminano and sienna out in tuscany.
Not sure on the correct spelling for either town.
Makes a nice day trip.
Not sure on the correct spelling for either town.
Makes a nice day trip.
You might want to check out the Santa Maria Novella store in Florence. I haven't used their products but I hear good things about them.
Agreed. I've been pleasantly surprised with SMN products. Old World classic style; their shaving cream is great. A lot of people shy away because of the price, but I'll be buying more.
Don
Are you renting a car or taking the train? If renting a car, I think it was in Chiusi (on your way to Florence from Rome), stop at the Lamborghini vineyard (same guy that did the cars). For 4 euros a bottle, it's a steal.
For Florence, I know you can get tickets for the popular museums beforehand (Uffizi and Accademia), so you don't have to wait in line. I forgot what website I used to do this (sorry), but it saves time.
I spent a month just outside of Siena last summer and travelled throughout the region. I have been to Italy on several other occasions as well.
Florence is my second favorite city in the world, behind home town NYC. I would be glad to give you details but I need more specifics as to what you are looking to do.
Florence is my second favorite city in the world, behind home town NYC. I would be glad to give you details but I need more specifics as to what you are looking to do.
Of you have time to stop in Cinque Terre, and hike along between a few towns, I highly recommend it. You could take a train or drive to one town, hike and take the train back to your car/main train.
There are some really nice stationary stores in Florence as well, I got myself a wax seal.
Check out my girlfriend's and my flickr set on Florence. The Gelato pictured is some of the best recommended in the city.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/the10101/sets/72157607325177707/
There are some really nice stationary stores in Florence as well, I got myself a wax seal.
Check out my girlfriend's and my flickr set on Florence. The Gelato pictured is some of the best recommended in the city.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/the10101/sets/72157607325177707/
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I never made it to Rome, but Florence was great.
You've got to check out Giotto's Campanile, the bell tower. It provides an incredible view of the city, ad my girlfriend and I weren't dressed appropriately to get into the Duomo, so it the highest we could make it, but absolutely incredible.
The guy at our hotel (Relais Florence) was awesome, he pulled out a map, asked us what we wanted to do, if we preferred bars or dance clubs, circled a bunch of things, showed us where we could see all the various versions and replicas of David if we didn't want to wait in line for tickets to academia. Then circled a big area, and said "I wouldn't go here at night unless you enjoy being stabbed".
Also don't miss out on a nice big Steak Florentine.
My Florence pics;
http://picasaweb.google.com/jordan.conway/Day7Florence#
http://picasaweb.google.com/jordan.conway/Day6PisaFlorence# (with some pisa thrown in, there's not much but a tower there, we spent literally an hour and a half in Pisa)
You've got to check out Giotto's Campanile, the bell tower. It provides an incredible view of the city, ad my girlfriend and I weren't dressed appropriately to get into the Duomo, so it the highest we could make it, but absolutely incredible.
The guy at our hotel (Relais Florence) was awesome, he pulled out a map, asked us what we wanted to do, if we preferred bars or dance clubs, circled a bunch of things, showed us where we could see all the various versions and replicas of David if we didn't want to wait in line for tickets to academia. Then circled a big area, and said "I wouldn't go here at night unless you enjoy being stabbed".
Also don't miss out on a nice big Steak Florentine.
My Florence pics;
http://picasaweb.google.com/jordan.conway/Day7Florence#
http://picasaweb.google.com/jordan.conway/Day6PisaFlorence# (with some pisa thrown in, there's not much but a tower there, we spent literally an hour and a half in Pisa)
Hmm, I didn't get a steak, I'll have to go back.
Nice pictures, gotta love the extended arm shot.
Nice pictures, gotta love the extended arm shot.
Bistecca Fiorentina is one of the finest dishes one can eat on earth. You must be a beef lover though because it isn't for the faint of heart. Done correctly it is a 2-3 inch thick porterhouse steak, cut from the Chianina cattle local to the area. The cow itself is the reason for the greatness of the steak as this breed produces the defining texture and flavor of the dish. There are still several restaurants in Florence proper that prepare it over a wood burning open pit flame, as it should be. Cooked black and blue the steak should be rolled to your table, directly from the grill, atop a rolling butcher block. Fresh olive oil, obviously local, is poured over the steak before your eyes and the waiter expertly dispatches it into slices table side. The steak is plated whole, but sliced, and the blood, juice and olive oil drippings gathered from the board poured back over it.
A bottle of table wine, local again, and your done.
A bottle of table wine, local again, and your done.
*drool*
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- #14
I was in Florence in 1990 and stayed at a hotel on Via De' Tornabuoni a couple of blocks from the river. I remember eating at a place on Via Del Parione. I admit to being a little crazy; I'm on this forum. But I don't drive in Italy if I can help it. Germany, Switzerland and New York City are okay. We will be taking a train from Rome to Florence. First class with a reservation. Only two suit cases. In 1990, we had five and a total stranger came up to me and asked where in the States I was from.
OldSaw
The wife's investment
Check out my Mediterranean Shave Adventure. I absolutely love my SMN lavender aftershave splash that I bought in Florence.
The SMN farmacia is not as easy to find as the SMN cathedral. However, it is only about a block away, just around the corner. I wish I would have spent more on SMN stuff and less on leather. My wife and I bought three leather jackets, a fancy leather purse and a leather suitcase to stuff it all in and managed to escape for around 1000 Euro. Makes my $75 worth of SMN stuff look pretty light.
The SMN farmacia is not as easy to find as the SMN cathedral. However, it is only about a block away, just around the corner. I wish I would have spent more on SMN stuff and less on leather. My wife and I bought three leather jackets, a fancy leather purse and a leather suitcase to stuff it all in and managed to escape for around 1000 Euro. Makes my $75 worth of SMN stuff look pretty light.
This it should look when done right!
and this the noble beast that the amazing steak coms from.
and this the noble beast that the amazing steak coms from.
This it should look when done right!
and this the noble beast that the amazing steak coms from.
Boy, I wish I had known about all this great shaving stuff before going to Europe last summer. Although, I might not have come back.
