Corinna B December 17, 2016

9 Reasons Why You Should Visit Florence In December

I absolutely love Florence.

I spend time there every year, and every time I’m there it’s as though it was the first time – it never loses its magic.

Last year I was there twice leading private tours (The Glam Italia Tours), but then I snuck back by myself for a little vacation in December and fell in love with the city all over again.

Florence is spectacular any time of the year, but December is just sensational.

9 Reasons why you should visit Florence in December

1. The Tourists Are Gone.

December mornings in Santa Maria Novella

I try to avoid Florence during the busy tourist months of July and August, but during the spring and the fall there are still throngs of enthusiasts getting themselves some map time in the middle of the sidewalks, cluttering up the view of the statues, generally getting in the way.

Piazza della Signoria in December

December gives you a whole new city. The streets are wide open and clear, you can stroll all over town and not have to move to avoid a tour bus full of people walking down the street. You own Florence in December – the city is yours.

Strolling Ponte Vecchio

2. The Prices Go Down.

Take out the tourists and the cost of everything goes down. There are deals to be had in all the stores, restaurant prices go down, accommodation costs less. Even the airfares are reasonable.

It’s fantastic.

3. The Lines Evaporate.

Palazzo Vecchio museum in December. Not a tourist in sight!

No matter what you want to see, there are no lines and no crowds.

In December everywhere I went including the Palazzo Vecchio and the Ufizzi there were no tourists in sight. This meant I had the museums and art galleries all to myself. There was no wall of people to try and see through, everything was there just for me.

Looking down on David from the Palazzo tower

I was able to view the greatest works of Renaissance art from up close, then step back, take in all the angles, and not have a single soul get in my way.

Looking down at the statues outside the Uffizi from the Palazzo vecchio tower

4. People Are Even More Friendly.

Without mindless throngs of rude tourists being demanding, criticizing, and no doubt just being plain annoying, the locals can focus on you when you are there in December. They have more time to chat, have space to tell you about interesting things to do, can linger over coffee or a glass of wine and give you so much more quality time.

5. Christmas Is Amazing In Florence.

The Corsa at night

Santa doesn’t show up in Italy. Christmas is about Jesus.

Precepe outside Santa Maria Dei Fiore

Regardless of your religious beliefs it is so refreshing to walk around at night and see all the gorgeous lights, with no sleigh bells jingle-ing ring-ting-tingle-ing too.

No elves, no Ho Ho Ho, no candy canes. It feels so authentic and so legitimate.

Walking in and out of stores you aren’t assaulted by looped cheesey Christmas carols or made-for-Christmas wares. The Christmas season runs from around December 8th until January 6th, and the stores start running end of year sales with discounts ranging from 30% to 70% – and who doesn’t want amazing Italian clothes and shoes at 70% off??

6. The German Market.

Piazza Santa Croce becomes a German market in December. Stalls selling wooden German toys sit next to knick knack stalls, Sicilian marzipan stalls share walls with vendors selling hot German sausages. There are all kinds of European foods available, hot drinks and cold beer. It smells wonderful and it is particularly lovely to stroll around at night.

7. The Sunsets Come Sooner.

Hazy December evening in Florence

As much as I just love those long, soft, summer evenings in Florence, sitting up at Piazzale Michelangelo watching the sun set over the Arno, I also love bundling up for the December chill in the late afternoon and catching the sun setting for the evening at 5 or 6 pm. It’s wickedly romantic!

8. The Food.

The food in Italy is pretty fantastic at any time of year, but there is something so divine about spending the afternoon out and about in the cold afternoon air and then wandering into some little restaurant filled with happy, boisterous locals and sitting down to a bowl of Tuscan tomato and basil soup and a big fat glass of local red wine under the gaze of a wall of frescos painted 600 years ago. (much more enjoyable without the crowds of tourists during the summer!)

9. The Hazy Mornings And Afternoons.

I probably wouldn’t enjoy the grey spells if I actually lived there, but as a guest I found them completely beguiling. Wandering through Florence and surrounding Tuscany, looking at the castles rising up through the fog, looking out the train windows at fields bathed in grey mist you discover a whole new Italian romance. It’s so beautiful.

Winter cappuccinos in the piazza on a grey morning before the sun breaks through are sensational.

I’m a little heartbroken that I couldn’t be there this year in December, but I’m planning on going back for a pre-Christmas visit next Year. Florence in December is just fabulous. You might just want to add it to your bucket list.

Bonus Content

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Click here for my Secret Florence PDF!

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Corinna B June 27, 2016

7 More Things To Do In Florence

I just love Florence.
Florence is one of those cities that I just cannot ever get enough of. Every time I go there I always discover something new. In the past 6 months alone I have been to Florence three times, and each time leaving has felt a little bit like dying. I can’t wait to go back.

final morning in Florence. I never want to leave….

I’ve written before about 30 Things To Do In Florence, Mornings in Florence, 10 Things You Absolutely MUST Do In Florence, and now I’m fresh off the plane back home from Florence again so while it’s fresh in my mind here are 7 more things for you to do in Florence

1. Go To Santa Croce

The best church art in all of Florence is inside the Basilica Santa Croce.

The frescoes in this church are just staggering.

Dating back to the 1300’s, they are still true in color, are absolutely breathtaking, and as an art lover they never fail to bring tears to my eyes.

The Cimabue crucifix dates back to the 1280’s, and although severely damaged in the flood of 1966 is still achingly beautiful.

While the rest of Florence will be bursting at the seems with tourists, hardly any make their way to Basilica Santa Croce, which suits me just fine! Art is far more enjoyable when you’re not trying to view it 5 people deep.

2. Buy Leather Jackets At Jimmy’s

I’ve written about buying leather at Jimmy’s before, (in fact that blog post still gets hundreds of hits per week) and I constantly get messages from readers who make their way to Jimmy’s Leather Collection in Piazza San Lorenzo and buy his fantastic leather jackets. It’s quite the fabulous and fun experience, and Jimmy’s designs are to die for.

Read about where to buy leather in Florence here

3. Walk Up To Piazzale Michelangelo Before Sunset

dusk from Piazzale Michelangelo

I hadn’t done this in years, but on the second 2016 Glam Italia Tour we took an early evening stroll across the Arno at Ponte alla Carraia and worked our way up the river in the lovely, residential and much less touristy Oltrarno, to Piazza Poggi where we wound our way up the hill to Piazzale Michelangelo as dusk was falling.
The view of Florence from up high is just gorgeous, and after a day exploring the city you not only get to breathe some fresher, quieter air, but you get a wonderful perspective of the terrain you’ve covered that day.

And of course there’s the green guy on the hill, watching over the city!

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4. Take In Sunset From Ponte Alle Grazie

Ponte Vecchio at sunset, from my iPhone

From Piazzale Michelangelo it’s maybe a 10 minute walk down to Ponte alle Grazie bridge, which is the perfect place to take in the sunset, looking down the Arno toward Ponte Vecchio.

5. Grab An Aperativo

After taking in the sunset from the Ponte Alle Grazie keep walking across the bridge and continue up Via De Benci a block or two to the intersection with Via dei Neri and Dei Tintori where you will find several options to sit at a sidewalk table and enjoy an aperatif. It used to be that spritz aperol was a drink you’d associate with Venice, but now it is everywhere. After sunset on the bridge try drinking a sunset colored spritz.

6. Eat The Best Sandwich Of Your Life.

Seriously. The best sandwich ever.

I discovered this one when I rented an apartment around the corner and every night I would see the locals spilling out of Al Antico Vinaio all night long.

the street of sandwiches, Florence

Everyone was milling about in the street with these giant sandwiches, or sitting on the curb with the sandwich in one hand and a huge glass of red wine in the other. When I travel one of my rules is eat where the locals eat, avoid where the tourists eat, and absolutely never eat at any restaurant that has photos on the menu.

the three of us had sandwiches from al Antico Vinaio on our last night in Florence

Although you can order a la carte, just pick from the favorites list and have it the way it was meant to be eaten. You will get a giant sandwich on fresh focaccia, with local creamed pecorino cheese, about a pound of freshly cut salami or porchetta, a slice of eggplant marinated in chili flakes and olive oil and maybe some arugula. What you won’t see is processed food, condiments like mayonnaise and mustard, no added salt and pepper. Its all real food that just explodes with flavor and doesn’t need any additives. And it only costs $5.
If you don’t believe me read their reviews – people dream about these sandwiches.
Al Antico Vinaio is on via Dei Neri 2 minutes walk from the Palazzo Vecchio.

7. End Your Evening With A View

end your night with a view

Florence has so many spectacular views, whether they be of the city skyline, the piazze, the monuments, the buildings – so many amazing things to lay your eyes on! So take time at the end of the night to sit somewhere fabulous with a glass of wine and take in a view to remember forever.

Where to stay in Florence:
I’m not much of a hotel girl when I’m in Italy, I prefer renting an apartment instead. A friend of mine has just put her gorgeous apartment in San Lorenzo up for vacation rental on AirBnB.
You can check it out here

Corinna B January 21, 2016

10 Things You Absolutely Must Do When You Are In Florence

Florence is one of my absolute favorite cities in the world. It doesn’t matter how many times I go to Florence, I always discover something new. I never get bored with Florence, and I never feel like I’m done. Florence is magic.

I’ve spent a great deal of time in Florence over the past 10 years. I’ve been to the all the main tourist spots (multiple times!) but I have also explored the city from one end to the other. Along the way I have discovered some wonderful secrets in the city on the Arno.

Most tourists miss out on some of the most amazing things to do in Florence, so I have made you a list of 10 items that you need to add to your travel itinerary.

I am always asked about my favorite restaurants and shops in Florence, so I have added an option for you to get a PDF of my Secret Florence at the end of this post.

Here are 10 things that you absolutely MUST do when you are in Florence:

1. Go For An Early Walk.

Get up early (at least once while you are there) and go for a long walk.

Florence gets so packed with tourists during the day and into the night that it becomes almost impossible to get one on one time with her statues, her famous doorways, the great piazzas. During the day you can hardly ever snap a photo without other travelers getting in the way.

But in the early mornings the streets are empty, and she is all yours.

2. Eat Cinghiale

One of the local Tuscan delicacies is Cinghiale, or wild boar.

Every restaurant serves it, made to their own recipe, and it’s fantastic.

3. Visit Santa Croce Church

Florence is full of amazing churches with amazing art, but to me Santa Croce is one of the most spectacular.

Santa Croce Church in the shadow of the early morning

The art inside Santa Croce is considered to be some of the most impressive church art in all of Florence. From Giotto’s fresco cycles to Cimabue’s breathtaking Triumphal Cross, the art in Santa Croce is spectacular.
It is also the home to Florence’s most impressive tombs, and has memorials to Michelangelo, Rossini, Dante Aligheri, Ghiberti, Galileo and Machiavelli. Largely overlooked by tourists, the church at Santa Croce is an absolute must.

4. Get Up High

The Duomo seen from the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio on a misty, moody December afternoon

Whether you choose to climb the 463 steps to the top of the Duomo, or perhaps the vastly fewer stairs to the top of the Palazzo Vecchio tower, get up high and take in the mesmerizing view of one of Europe’s most magnificent cities.

5. Take Long Walks At Night.

Just as early morning walks are a must in Florence, so are long evening walks after the sun has gone down.

One of the great loves of my life lives in Florence, ( if you are going to fall in love, it might as well be with an Italian, right?) and for many years evenings in Florence were synonymous with long strolls around the city, taking in all the incredible palazzi and churches, the magnificent doorways, the statues, the very essence of Florence, bathed in the moonlight.

As beautiful as she is by day, Santa Maria Del Fiore (the Duomo) is just mesmerizing by night. In fact Florence is pure magic by night.

6. Look Up

While taking night time strolls you have the opportunity to see frescos and incredible ceilings hidden to you during the day, but visible by night when people turn their lights on. When we would be out at night (and still even now, as the dearest of friends) he always tells me “Look up!” as we walk by breathtaking frescoes on the upper floors of the various palazzi, scattered everywhere in the city.

7. Take A Tour Of Somewhere Special

When I was in Florence this past December I was incredibly lucky to have a private tour of the secret passages and hidden rooms in the Palazzo Vecchio. It was so awe-inspiring that I immediately promised myself that every time I go back to Florence I will take a little tour of some place special. This medieval city is so full of hidden corridors and passageways, there is art up in the rafters, there is art inside the walls. It’s rich history of intrigue and treachery and treasures means there are endlessly fascinating secrets to be discovered. The perfect way to experience them is with an art historian filling you in on all the stories, bringing them to life for you.

8. Eat The Best Sandwich Of Your Life

A couple of blocks from the Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi on the Via Dei Neri you will find Osteria All’ Antico Vinaio

It is super easy to find because they have a trattoria on either side of the road, and until late each night there are always locals spilling out onto the sidewalk with giant focaccia sandwiches in one hand and big glasses of lusty red wine in the other, while their brethren queue patiently in lines that weave down the street, waiting for as long as it takes to get their turn at the counter. I guarantee you will never have had a sandwich quite like these before!

You can custom order, but I learned from the people waiting with me in the line and the others having spasms or gastronomic delight as they leaned against the walls or sat on the curb eating their panini, that the way to tackle this beast was to order from the posted list of favorites. (90% of the patrons were all ordering the same thing, so I figured I would just have what they did. Perhaps one of the greatest decisions I’ve ever made.)

This is no nitrite, no nitrate, no Monsanto, fresh, local, real food.

You won’t find anything as crass as a soda fountain here but you will find a selection of local red wines that they sell by the bottle or by the glass.

And just how much do you think the best sandwich of your life will cost you? €5. It’s the bargain of the century!

9. Explore Oltrarno

Literally “the other side of the Arno”, there is so much to see when you cross the river. You have the big sights, the Pitti Palace, the Boboli Gardens, Piazzale Michelangelo and San Spirito with its Brunelleschi designed interior, but you also have endless medieval streets full of antique stores and local artisans. As you wander through you’ll find fewer and fewer tourists, which means the price of everything goes down. It’s easy to spend days on end losing yourself in Florence’s neighborhoods – there is so much to discover.

While wandering find your way to Santa Maria Del Carmine. The Cappella Brancacci houses a renaissance fresco cycle that changed the course of western art. Begun by Masaccio and Masolino in around 1424 and finished 50 years later by Filippino Lippi, this cycle uses a then revolutionary technique employing single point perspective. Look to the upper left entrance pier to Adam and Eve and notice the dramatic way their bodies reflect a light that seems to emanate from within the world of the painting, but outside the frame. It is magnificent.

10. Buy Leather

Florence is world famous for it’s amazing leather goods.

If you are not shopping at the Gucci and Prada price point, then this is the city for you! You can buy beautifully made leather bags, belts, luggage, wallets and jackets all over Florence, especially at the San Lorenzo market, but you have to either know what you’re buying, or who you are buying it from to make sure you are getting good quality and not a Made-In-China rip off.

For years and years now I have been buying leather goods from my very dear friend Jimmy Ahmed of Jimmy’s Leather Collection. I’ve sent so many people to Jimmy over the years, and everyone is always super happy to have gone there. Read more about buying leather in Florence here

Bonus

I’m giving you a bonus tip, because I can’t refine it down to just 10 tips…

Eat Panforte

Panforte with coffee makes for a perfect mid-morning snack

This is actually a Sienese delicacy but you can find it all over Florence. Not a bread, and yet not quite a cake panforte is a divine flourless combination of nuts, dried fruits, honey and spices. My favorite type is Mandorlata. You do so much walking all day every day in Florence, it’s easy to justify a small slice with your morning cappuccino.

Secret Florence

If you would like to know my favorite restaurants, rooftop bars, a secret jeweler who designs for Dior but who also sells to regular ladies in the know at sensible prices, even a Medici perfumer, I have a Secret Florence PDF that you can download and print.

Get your Secret Florence PDF HERE