A few months ago, I was enjoying a coffee and a chat with Francesca, a good friend who loves to travel and I told her “I really wish to go on a girly trip some time soon. Are you up for something, a little getaway? “She replied saying that she had already booked a holiday with two other friends I knew from Malta and she said “You’re welcome to join us! We’ve been here several times and we love it!” The ladies had booked a holiday in January with the intention of getting away for a few days of clothes shopping, sightseeing and wine tasting to Tuscany. Truth be told, this holiday ticked all the boxes in my traveller’s head:
• weekend getaway with ladies – check
• sightseeing of the city and the countryside – check
• wine tasting tours– check
• shopping of the best brands during January sales – check
• a destination I had never been to – check
A few days later, I confirmed that I would be joining the existing confirmed trio and we would be the four of us travelling – The Fabulous Four! Yeah, some trip to look forward to!
Come January, we all met up at the Malta International Airport, caught a Ryanair flight to Pisa airport which was only one and a half hours long. Once landed we bought tickets from the airport for a coach transfer from the airport to the city centre for 6 Euros each. One hour fifteen minutes later we were in Florence city centre
Hotel Calzaiuoli
This 4 star hotel is located in the heart of Florence, the capital city of Tuscany, in a road close to all the well-known fashion brand retail outlets for as long as the eye can see and in the close proximity of the important historical monuments and museums. It is literally a four minute walk away from Piazza del Duomo.
The hotel rooms are decorated in classic style, quite spacious and kept very clean, with amenities including TV, mini bar, safety deposit box, blow-dryer and 24 hour reception service. In our case, since we were four friends travelling together, we pre-booked in advance a room with 4 single beds. We chose to be together to ensure more laughs during our girls holiday.
The choice of breakfast options at this hotel is excellent. From healthy yoghurt and fruits to scrambled eggs and bacon and waffles, you are sure to relish a good start to your days here in Florence. The internet in the room is also good, very important for us who like to have access to e-mails and to post photos on Instagram and Facebook! The service we received at this hotel every day was very good. As a frequent traveller and blogger, I highly recommend this hotel as a holiday option.
Visit www.calzaiuolihotel.com for information and bookings
WHAT TO DO IN FLORENCE
I could write for days about this holiday because it was such fun overall and I can get lost in detail, but I am going to keep it compact and simple, highlighting the places we visited and a few things we did together as the Fabulous Four which I will list down for people who are perhaps visiting and would like a few travel tips.
Piazza del Duomo
In Florence, city centre, enjoy a walk in the Piazza del Duomo, one of the most visited places in Europe and the world. Highlights to look out for include the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Museo dell Opera del Duomo, the Baptistery of St John and the Loggia del Bigallo.
For a brief explanation about this Piazza and a few fashion images shot during my holiday read my blog entitled My Yellow Coat.
You cannot help but be mesmerised by the incredulous talent the Italian people boasted hundreds of years ago. To produce such tasteful and precious works of art is admirable. I looked around in awe at these huge fountains and sculptures of astounding presence. Here are a few photos of my favourite ones, especially the sculpture of Menelaus holding the body of Patroclus which was discovered in Rome in one of the Medici residences in 1570 and has been in the Loggia since 1741.
Ponte Vecchio
Walk towards Ponte Vecchio or Old Bridge for a beautiful view of the river. Built very close to the Roman crossing, until 1218 this was the only bridge across the Arno River in Florence. Look out for the little goldsmith shops and also a small section on one of the bridges, where lovers can seal their commitment to each other by leaving a padlock here.
WHERE WE DINED
The Yellow Bar
The first evening in Florence, we went to this trattoria in Via del Proconsolo which is not a bar but a local hangout which serves pizza, pasta, meat, fish and salads on the menu. It is a very popular place with yellow signage, where people are happy to wait in line for a few minutes, to get served some genuine Italian dishes, all made with fresh local ingredients. We ordered a selection from the menu including baked artichokes, a tricolore pizza and a salad and we shared them between us to get a taste of more than one dish. Service, albeit with a smile can be a little slow, because it is so busy but we enjoyed the food and wine here very much overall. After a day of shopping and sightseeing, the food and wine went down a real treat.
Visit http://yellowbar.it
Trattoria 4 Leoni
This restaurant situated in Via de Vellutini was to me one of the culinary highlights of this holiday. Recommended by a blogger friend, we all decided to give it a go. Its décor immediately struck me as being stylish with contemporary touches but still retaining a warm feel to it. The lighting too was perfect– not too bright and not too dark. I ordered a Florentine T bone steak while the other ladies had pasta specials or fish. The food was a pure delight, perfectly cooked and seasoned with love. The service I must emphasize was impeccable from the minute we walked in to when they booked a taxi for us and we left happily to go back to our hotel. This restaurant is definitely one I would recommend and revisit.
Antica Trattoria del Tito
Trattoria del Tito situated in Via San Gallo Florence was a very good restaurant experience. After a long day of sightseeing and not eating substantial food quantities, I was really looking forward to dinner at this place. It was also to be the last supper with the ladies before we headed back to our families and normal lifestyles again.
Apart from the signs on the wall saying “We do not cook meat well done here” this place does a whole lot of Tuscan dishes including wild boar pasta and onion soup, my favourite! In business since 1913, Del Tito did not disappoint. My lady friends and I had a somewhat entertaining and charming Italian restaurant manager cater to our every whim, and ensured we felt at home throughout our experience by joking and saying stuff in Italian which made us smile.
We were also treated to a few complimentary shooter drinks at the bar on the way out while we waited for our taxi driver. We will certainly remember this experience and I recommend it for its ambiance and if you are looking to experience some traditional Florentine dishes in a restaurant that is a favourite with the locals.
Visit http://www.trattoriadatito.it/
Tour of the Movies Filmed in Tuscany
Enjoy a tour of world-famous movies filmed here in Tuscany including Under the Tuscan Sun, La Vita e Bella and Twilight Saga. We booked a day tour with Italy on a Budget Tours which lasted about 12 hours in total, a full day really. We had a friendly guide called Mariana driving us around to each spot in a mini van, showing us the scenes of the movies on her I-pad and giving us some basic information en route.
Including several stops for shopping and free exploring, this tour included a stop at the Medieval towns of Montepulciano including wine and cheese sampling in Montepulciano city centre. Here we sampled some traditional pecorino cheeses and wines including Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the Chianti Classico.
We stopped for lunch and some more wine-tasting at a local winery outlet with beautiful views of a valley below. This place called La Dogana is open on weekends during the busier months of the year, serving coffee and platters with a mix of locally produced cheeses blended with organically grown herbs.
We were then driven to the town of Cortona famous with celebrities for its beautiful homes. Here we enjoyed some breathtaking views and long walk to see the area where the movie scene of Twilight Saga was held.
Last but not least we visited the pretty picturesque town of Arezzo, the home town of the Italian actor, comedian and director Alberto Benigni who I admire very much. It was in areas of Piazza Grande that scenes of his movie La Vita e Bella were captured.
The film is about an Italian Jewish man who tries to protect his son’s innocence during his internment at a Nazi concentration camp by telling him that the Holocaust is an elaborate game and he must adhere very carefully to the rules to win. Benigni’s father had spent three years in a concentration camp in Bergen Belsen and La Vita è Bella is based in part on his father’s experiences.
In my next travel blog about Tuscany, I will be sharing our experience and a collection of photos of another wine-tasting tour held at Castello del Trebbio in Chianti and some information about local food specialities we tried during our stay there, that did not all fit in this blog!
