Ride In The Hills Of Mugello (near Florence)

Deserted Florence At Dawn

The Golden Hour (thanks to Sanctuare Press for bringing that term to my attention): the time just after dawn or before sunset when the light is at its best. When you visit Florence, you will probably have many sunsets but how many dawns will you see? I know, I know, you are on holiday and getting up early is the last thing you probably want to do but it will be worth it. Firstly, the place is practically deserted. If you want Florence to yourself, this will be your best chance. You can get great photos around all of the landmarks with just you in them. This simply doesn’t happen any other time. Plus, you will really appreciate your cup of coffee after your dawn stroll. So, set your alarm clock just for one day and see Florence as it once was; you won’t regret it!

Snow in Florence

An Autumn Walk South Of The Arno

Autumn in Florence is an enchanting time of year. September may be the month of change but it doesn’t start to get cold until October and even then, days around 20 degrees Celsius are not unheard of. So, what can you do in a city such as Florence when the leaves start to turn brown and sunbathing isn’t an option? One of the best things to do is go for a walk. The historic centre of Florence is a marvel but many tourists never venture far from the Ponte Vecchio and, as a result, they see what they expect to see but nothing more. As with many cities that are on a river, Florence’s Arno River provides a focal point and a good route to follow; you can’t really get lost!

For this video, I took one of my favourite routes, out of town in a Easterly direction, following the Northern bank of the River Arno as far as Ponte San Niccolo where I crossed the river. From there, the fitter tourist can choose to take the longer route up to Piazzale Michelangelo by Viale Michelangelo or, even better, take the old Via dell’Erta Canina. In the video, you can see the old cobbled road that rises above Florence – it’s steep, so you’ll need to be in shape – and from the top, you will have a great view of the Duomo in the South as well as San Miniato Al Monte in the East. If you continue along the road, you will pass the Paraguayan Consulate (of all things!) and eventually reach Viale Galileo where you can turn left and walk back down to the Piazzale.

Ristorante Pizzeria – Piazzale Michelangelo, Firenze

This restaurant is just off Piazzale Michelangelo on Via Galileo in Florence and has lovely views of the hills and large houses on the Southern outskirts of the city. It’s slightly more expensive than restaurants in town for the food (a standard pizza is €3 or €4 more than in town) but it’s worth it for the view and location. I’d avoid the soft drinks at €6 each though as that’s a bit steep even for Florence tourist-central.

You can exit the restaurant, turn left and then walk down the steps almost immediately on your left and they will take you down to the heart of San Niccolo. Keep going towards the gate and just before you reach it, there is the Bar “Fuori Porta” or Outside the Gate; perfect for an after lunch/dinner drink!

View Larger Map

Eskimo Bar – Florence’s Second Beach!

Eskimo Bar is new this year and it is definitely one for the Undiscovered Florence category. This cool bar is set beside a small man-made beach in the very centre of Florence, just down from the Ponte Vecchio. We got there by bicycle which is a cool way to see the city, especially when the weather is good!

It is a great place to hang out or tan; you usually have to pay for the sun longers (approx 3 Euros) but as it was late in the afternoon, the lady let us have them for free. OK, so we bought two Cokes for 6 Euros but still, this little beach in the center of Florence gets my vote! Some of you will notice that I have put this video in the nightlife category. That’s because, although the video wasn’t taken at night, Eskimo Bar also plays live music in the evenings. At other times there are DJs. The musical focus is South American/Latino mostly.

View Larger Map

Giardino Bardini – Florence’s Newest Renaissance Garden

The Giardino Bardini was only recently opened to the public and the gardens and statues have been beautifully restored. The main entrance is on Via de’ Bardi, just over the road from the Museo Bardini (see Google StreetView below) although the shop and another exit can be found on Costa di San Giorgio. From there, you can walk to Forte di Belevedere* and the Giardino di Boboli for which your ticket is valid. Entrance at the time of writing (August 2009) is 10 Euros.

The Garden is marvellous, especially in the early morning. If you are lucky, you can have the place to yourself (as I did) by going when it opens at 8:15. Be aware that the shop opens at 9 and the cafe doesn’t open until 10. The early morning start is worth it though as the sun hits the terraces and it’s also not too hot for the climb to the top. Once you are up there, if you exit on Costa di San Giorgio (turn left and follow the signs)  you can walk a short distance to the Giardino di Boboli and you enter at the top; it’s all downhill after that!

This video was made after a suggestion from RobertaK on Twitter. Send me a suggestion and if I can, I’ll shoot the video! Aren’t I good to you?

View Larger Map

*Unfortunately, a young woman lost her life at the Fort and it is now closed until it the investigation has completed