HOTEL MEDICI - FLORENCE

I'd really like to keep this hotel a secret, but because they always do such a good job, I have to give them some public praise. We first discovered the

HOTEL MEDICI about 9 years ago, when we made our first independent visit to Florence.  It was January, and we'd requested a room on the 6th floor with a view of the Duomo.  Although it was too cold on that visit to sit on the terrace and enjoy the view, just opening the shutters and seeing the Duomo  - Giotto's bell tower and Brunelleschi's dome! - right there - almost close enough to touch, was magical. 

Although we've checked around for other hotels in Florence, we always seem to end up at the MEDICI.  For our most recent trip , which was a very impulsive, last-minute trip, I'd emailed to request a room on the 6th floor, but one around the corner from the Duomo.  I did this because the weather was still mild, and I knew there'd be people outside on the terrace, probably later than we'd want to be awake.  There's just no way to know who'll be on the terrace, or how noisy they'll be, so I figured it would be better to be around the corner where it was quieter. 

When we arrived at the hotel, Gabriele greeted us as old friends, as is his style.  He looked so sheepish and said to me "Do you believe it?"  I was puzzled - believe what?  What was he talking about?  After a long pause he finally continued - "Can you believe that the one room you DIDN'T want is the only one available?"   Because we'd made our request only a few days earlier, how could I complain?  As it turned out, the room he had for us was the very room we'd stayed in on our very first visit, the one at the very end of the terrace, closest to the Duomo.
 
In the last few years the hotel has undergone a complete renovation.  I asked Gabriele if they had added any rooms, not knowing if they had used all the floors previously, but he told me no, they still have 40 something rooms, but now, after the renovation, all but three are ensuite. 

We stopped by PEGNA on our way back to the hotel one afternoon, where they carry lots of British groceries.  I was hoping to find some cheddar cheese for a special treat, and I was in luck!  We bought a few slices of red wax cheddar, some goat cheese, crackers, and a bottle of red wine.  We hadn't brought a corkscrew with us, but the cashier at the checkout gladly opened our bottle for us!  They also have the smaller bottles of wine, as well as wine in a box. 

The HOTEL MEDICI includes a continental breakfast - coffee, tea or hot chocolate, juice, and rolls with butter and jam.  They also sell wine, water and soft drinks, and provide wine glasses, should you want to have a snack in your room or on the terrace. 

Like all hotels, the staff at the HOTEL MEDICI will be happy to make reservations for you at all the local museums, and to recommend restaurants.  They also speak several languages.  If you're every looking for a hotel in Florence with location, location, location, then the HOTEL MEDICI is the perfect choice.  When we stayed there in October our room, with ensuite bathroom and direct access to the terrace cost €80. 

Here are a few more photos of our room with a view:

FOOD! FOOD! FOOD!

Okay, I'm a foodie. I love food. I love to cook food, to eat food, to read about food, even to look at food. Because of this, no trip to Florence is complete without a visit to the Mercato Centrale, Florence's large, permanent market with fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, fish, preapred and packaged foods and restaurants. It's a food lover's paradise!

The ground floor of the Mercato features the restaurants and permanent food sellers, while upstairs are the fresh fruit and vegetable stands. The upstairs is currently being renovated, so the fruits and veggies are temporarily located in a huge tent right outside the mercato. Needless to say, I enjoyed looking at the seasonal foods like the porcini mushrooms.

Inside the food hall I saw foods and fish and meats that I was unfamiliar with, but which were gorgeous and interesting to look at none-the-less. While wandering the aisles I did see one familiar site: our good friend Judy Witts Francini, aka DIVINA CUCINA! (You can keep up with Judy on her blog, OVER A TUSCAN STOVE.)  Judy was explaining all about porcini to English chef GARY RHODES.   Chef Rhodes is apparently filming the standard 'travel around Italy to sample all the regional foods' shows, and the focus of that day's filming was porcini. 
 
After buying a few porcini for ourselves we stopped by BARONI’S, where they always have something interesting - and delicious.  Rumor has it that they sometimes have cheddar cheese, but I didn't see any that day, and since we'd already treated ourselves to a few slices the previous evening from PEGNA's just down the street from our hotel, I didn't need the fix.
 
If I lived in Florence I think my days would go like this:  head out to the Mercato Centrale in the morning.  Buy something different, somthing new, talk to the vendor about what the food and how to prepare it, then go home and spend the rest of the day cooking and searching the internet to learn more about my new food/ingredient.  In the evening I could take a passiagiata, get something simple for dinner like a gelato- and bask in the fact that I lived in Florence.   

Anyway, here's yet another slideshow, this one of all the fabulous foods we found in the Mercato Centrale: 


Click on the icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the slideshow to make the photos full-screen!

FLORENCE: SANTA CROCE AND THE CAPELLE MEDICI

On our recent visit to Florence we were trying to visit some places we'd never been to, or places we hadn't been to in a long time. Santa Croce falls into the second category, and just recently someone told us that the church had been completely renovated and we should be sure to visit it the next time we were in Florence. I wish I could remember who told us this, because either they have Santa Croce confused with some other church, or maybe they thought it would be years before we re-visited Florence. Can you guess where this is going?

Things have changed since we were last at Santa Croce - now you have to pay an admission charge, and you enter thru a side door rather than the main door. LIttle did we know what else had changed.....
As we walked into the church I was expecting an "OH WOW!" moment, but what I got was an "oh dear..." moment. Scaffolding was EVERWHERE! the main altar was hidden somewhere under a wall of scaffolding,
and a closer look revealed people on platforms within the scaffolding doing their restoration work.  Who knows how many years this restoration might take, but at least the work is being done!  Just in case you're wondering, yes, photos are allowed inside the church.

Of course there were still many beautiful things to see in the church, including Michelangelo's tomb, several side altars and assorted chapels, as well as the outdoor space and the museum. 

Our long-overdue visit to the Medici Chapel was also quite a let-down.  I hesitate to say that it was a disappointment, because we did get to see part of it's splendor, but the overall effect was certainly dulled by all the scaffolding within the chapel itself.  We had been warned about the restoration by a large sign outside the entry, but it really hadn't prepared us for the extent of the restoration works, or how that first step into the chapel would be such a let-down, especially when you could just glimpse the spendors hidden behind the scaffolding. 

No pictures were allowed inside the Medici Chapel, so you'll have to take your chances when or if you go to Florence, or perhaps there are some websites that might show everything as it was meant to be. 

Here's a slideshow of the photos we took at Santa Croce.  Do you like this slideshow option, or would you prefer that I just put a link that you could click to take you to our FLICKR PAGE?  Again, clicking on the icon in the bottom right corner of the slidwshow will enlarge it to full screen. 

FLORENCE - THE BAPTISTRY

Surprisingly, we'd never been inside the Baptisity in all our visits to Florence. Sometimes we'd been with guests who only had time for the quick tour of Florence, and other times we'd revisited favorite spots like the Bargello and just never made the time for the Baptistry. The goal of this trip was to visit some of the places we'd missed.

As you can see, the mosaics are stunning!





And here’s a short video:



All the photos of the Baptistry (yes, photos are allowed!) are HERE on our Flickr page.

VIDEOS FROM FLORENCE

On our recent visit to Florence we cam across an organ recital in a beautiful small church,



visited the Baptistry for the first time,



hung out in the piazza between the Duomo and the Baptistry,



and of course enjoyed some cheese and wine (and the view!) from our terrace,



It was a wonderful visit – photos and details to follow!

CHURCH BELLS IN FLORENCE

Just sitting on our terrace, listening to these bells was such a magical experience!

WE'RE GOING TO FLORENCE!

Yes, I know it' s only a few hours away, but for us this is a big deal! I LOVE Florence, but the last several times we've been there we've been with guests, so of course we hit the 'must-sees' - over and over and over! On this trip we'll get a chance to see some places we've just never gotten around to, plus we'll re-visit a few old favorites.

One treat for this trip will be a guided tour of the Uffizi. Walking through a gallery as large as the Uffizi can be overwhelming, and although it's not necessary to know the history of a painting to like it, when you DO know the history the painting is even more impressive. I'll let you know if I like the tour company we're using.

We'll be staying at the HOTEL MEDICI with it's Duomo-facing terrace.  It's undergone a complete renovation since the last time we stayed there, but the prices are still reasonable.  I'll also review the hotel when we return, as well as any restaurants we find.  I have a list of a few old favorites and few new places to try, just so we're prepared no matter where we are when we get hungry!

JAMI AND BETH IN ITALY - PART 5

Our plan for going to Florence was simple: We’d drive the car to the Orvieto train station where we’d park the car in the free lot. We had two choices: take the 7:30 train and arrive in Florence just before 10 o’clock, or take the 8:30 train and arrive just before 11.

We already had our tickets, but the drive from San Venanzo to Orvieto takes about 40 minutes, so if we wanted to catch the earlier train we’d have to get up quite early and leave San Venanzo by 6:45. We discussed our options with Jami and Beth, and their attitude was the same as ours when we’re on vacation: we can rest when we get home!!! Andiamo!

Beth’s small roller board suitcase had a broken zipper, and this, combined with the serious shopping necessitated another suitcase. We lent them our largest roller board, since we don’t use it now that weight limits have been reduced to fifty pounds. There’s no way I could fill this suitcase and have it weigh less than fifty pounds, so we just take smaller suitcases.

For our trip to Florence and then on to Rome, I packed my internal frame backpack, knowing that it would be a comfortable way to transport everything. We also took Beth’s smaller rollerboard, even though the zipper was broken. We figured because it had wheels it wouldn’t be hard to transport, and that we’d just pitch it once we got back to San Venanzo….the zipper wasn’t the only thing that was showing signs of wear!

We love taking the train…not having to worry about traffic or parking, and because the driver (Art) can enjoy the journey too. The worst part of taking the train is heaving all the luggage onto the train, then trying to get it down the aisle if you have to go from car to car searching for a seat! Luckily for us, the first two compartments were empty. This journey was nice because we didn’t have to change trains, so we piled all the luggage into one of the six person compartments, then tried to fit all four of us in there too!

This didn’t work out very well, so we ended up in two compartments, which wasn’t a problem since this early train wasn’t very crowded. I suspect later trains might be more crowded. The ride to Florence gave us all a chance to relax, catch up on notes, or watch the passing scenery.

Once we arrived in Florence we took a taxi to our hotel, the Medici. We’d specifically picked this hotel for it’s central location and for it’s terrace with a view of the Duomo. As the taxi pulled up to the hotel, we saw that the building was covered with scaffolding. Once we stepped out of the taxi we could see that the interior of the building was under a MAJOR renovation.

A man was standing near the door, and as I approached he asked “Skinners?” “Si, siamo i Skinners!” “Just a moment”, he said in English, “I’ll get someone for you.” Good! What the heck was going on, and where would we be staying????

A few minutes later (it took longer because the elevator had been removed, meaning the man had to go up five flights of stairs!) another man greeted us. He told us that we’d be put in rooms that were even better than the ones we’d reserved, and gave us a map showing the location of these rooms.

For our breakfast we were given vouchers which could be presented at the bar located on the corner….meaning of course that we’d have to come back here every morning for breakfast. Hmmmmm…was I over-reacting by getting irritated?

Okay, I tried to stay calm, but I had to tell this guy that I wasn’t happy! Why hadn’t the hotel emailed us to tell us about the changes??? I’m sure as an Italian this man didn’t consider it any big deal, especially since we were getting (supposedly) better rooms. But….we’re not Italian…we’re American…and I’m an American who likes to be informed!

Had we known about the change of location, we could have taken the taxi to the new location where everyone could have waited with the luggage while I walked to the Medici to check-in and get the keys. I also told him that we’d specifically booked this hotel for our guests so that they could have the view of the Duomo. As a gesture of goodwill he offered to walk us to the new location and even grabbed one of the heavier suitcases to boot.

Our rooms were actually one room apartments, located just off the main street in a quiet building. Although the kitchen wasn’t accessible for us, the rooms were quite large. We were on the top floor of the building, across the hall from one another. The only light was from two large skylights, but these were more than adequate. They were equipped with screens and with a shade.

The rooms had just been cleaned when we arrived, and our room had an unpleasant odor….like a sour mop. We pointed this out to the cleaning crew who claimed the smell was only the disinfectant. We told them no, it was more than that, and they promised to re-clean. We left the skylights open for ventilation and hoped for the best.

Our first stop was the Bargello. Built as the city hall, and later used as a prison and home to the chief of police, this medieval fortress has a wonderful display of sculpture and other art. It’s a museum that not overwhelming in size or scope, and we thought it would be nice for Jami and Beth to see Donatello’s version of David before seeing Michelangelo’s.

Just before we entered the museum a jewelry shop caught our eyes. Art needed a watch battery, and as luck would have it, we all found things that interested us. The shopping had begun!

For me the Bargello itself is as impressive as the art it houses. I love it’s medieval feel, and if I could have one house in one city in Italy, I would chose to live in the Bargello in Florence.

After lunch we walked to Café Verrazzano, a small restaurant known for it’s antipasti plates, perfect for sampling. We arrived just before one o’clock and only had to wait a minute for a table to be cleared. Within the next fifteen minutes the restaurant got busier and the wait for a table much longer.

Although the various dishes we shared were all delicious, the service was rushed and rather brusque. I think they’ve developed an American mentality and want to turn the tables several times a day. Normally in Italy the table is yours for as long as you want it…no one will make you feel rushed, or even bring you the bill until you ask for it. Because Florence is such a touristy town these same rules might not apply…we had a similar experience several years ago at Acqua al Due.

After lunch we headed to the San Lorenzo Mercato. We didn’t know if anything would be open on Sunday, and had been told that the market was closed on Mondays, so we wanted to make the most of our time on Saturday. We all had lots of people to shop for, and the market was one big shopping opportunity!

We took a stroll through the Mercato Centrale, the covered food market first. Downstairs there are loads of shops selling specialty goods, meats, cheeses, fish, one place more interesting than the next. Whole chickens, heads and feet still attached. Internal organs….stomachs, livers, god knows what else. Cheeses I’ve never heard of, more varieties of sausage than I could ever imagine. It’s a fun place!

Upstairs are the fresh fruits and vegetables. Even here there are things I’m not familiar with, and we all enjoyed strolling through the aisles, wishing we could take everything home and start cooking…..well at least I did!

Back outside we begin looking for bargains. I bought gloves and beautiful paper, and a few Tshirts for my grandson. Beth and Jami found scarves which were not only beautiful and affordable, but also lightweight and easy to pack. Writing this now makes it sound so cut and dried, but no, that’s not the way it happened. We wandered and looked, stopped, asked prices, selected colors and styles. I’m usually not a big shopper, but this was fun, just a relaxed afternoon, strolling, talking and shopping.

We went back to our rooms to drop off out loot and to take a short rest….we’d started very early and had accomplished a lot so far. The good news is that our room no longer had a bad smell!

After recharging our batteries we set off again, this time towards the Piazza Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi. Florence is one big open air museum, and every where you look there’s something to see, sometimes it’s an ancient building, sometimes a beautiful piece of sculpture, and sometimes it’s something not so old but just as beautiful and interesting!
We wandered through the courtyard of the Uffizi, towards the Arno. In the summer this courtyard will be packed with tourists, vendors, and artists, but today it wasn’t too crowded.

We walked onto the Ponte Vecchio, stopping to admire the jewelry and the views. It was cloudy, but so far wasn’t raining. We decided to walk to the Pitti Palace even though we didn’t plan to go in. Although the building is huge, and the interiors are beautifully baroque, the outside isn’t quite what I visualize when I hear the word ‘palace’.