*RS = Rick Steve’s Italy 2009 Book (Must have book)
Really helpful with the lodging, sites, and food. All the restaurants that were mentioned in the book had delicious food. We went to a few tourist trap restaurants, just because of the location. BIG MISTAKE. You can never go wrong with Rick Steve’s book. We also had lonely planet’s Italy book that we didn’t use. The descriptions of the sites, and restaurants weren’t as detailed compared Rick Steve’s.
*MAKE RESERVATIONS ONLINE FOR THE UFFIZI GALLERY AND THE ACCADEMIA, AND MAKE SURE YOU BRING THE PRINT OUT RECEIPT. The lines are long if you don’t have advance tickets. Please print it out, and don’t make the same mistake we did. We had to walk around Venice looking for an internet cafe to print ours.
*I ate the best food in Florence. I also liked shopping in Florence, I liked their outdoor street vendors the most, make sure you check it out. Florence is known for its leather products, and you can find many bags and gloves for discounted prices. However, I did not fall in love with the city the way I did with Venice. It wasn’t as Romantic as Venice. It still is a magnificent city, but a little too congested for me. I wished we stayed at Siena (since I hear how romantic it is) and went to Florence as a day trip to see the main museums.
Florence Market
*Also don’t forget to wear clothes below your knees, and ladies cover your shoulders with a sweater or scarf when entering churches. Guards at the door won’t let you in unless you’re “modestly” attired.
*Best place to escape the heat and take a break are the many churches located all over Italy.
Shopping for leather bags.
* Climb the Duomo Dome – The entrance is at the side of the Duomo. The lines going up is very slow, but trust me you need to go slow. It’s a very steep and long climb up to the top, but worth it. You get a close of look of The Last Judgment paintings of the Duomo dome.
It is 463 steps in total to the top.
View of Florence from the top of the Duomo
*Uffizi Courtyard - Free to get in to escape the heat. There’s two entrances, just check whichever one has the shortest line to get in.
I stand out as a tourist with the guide book.
We stayed at Hotel IL Bargellino. It’s a hotel ran by an American woman and her Italian husband. I highly recommend staying it for the reasonable prices and central location.
HOTEL IL BARGELLINO
VIA GUELFA 87
50129 FLORENCE, ITALY
TEL. 39 055 238 2658
That white looking bowl lower on the floor is a bidet (for those who have no idea what it is.)
Very cozy room, but we got a bigger room with a bathroom the next night.
