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FIRENZE (FLORENCE)

Following the pleasure of attending a family wedding in Rome in June 2002, we travelled north by Eurostar to Florence, passing through the beautiful Tuscan landscape with its fortified hilltop towns and a backdrop of volcanic mountains.

Florence is a famously beautiful city. Architecture is characteristically Renaissance but there is Romanesque and Gothic, and, of course, Nineteenth Century, famously - or infamously - the Piazza della Republica. There is little from the Roman period except for the layout of the streets in the centre.

Rik - 26 March 2003

• HISTORY
  A very short guide.
• ESSENTIAL GEOGRAPHY
  River, centre, quarters, architecture.
• NAVIGATION
  Finding your way around.
• CAFE LIFE, GELATERIA
  Where to drink and people watch. Where to buy ice cream.
• RESTAURANTS
  What and where to eat. Courses, menus, charges and tipping.
• MUSEUMS
  Sorting your priorities.
• EXCURSIONS
  Outskirts and day trips into Tuscany.
• MARKETS
  Groceries, snacks, food tourism.
• ACCOMODATION
  A personal recommendation.
• SURVIVAL
  Security, mosquitoes, water and traffic.When to visit and
  when not to: time of year, climate and crowds.
• REFLECTIONS
  Campanilismo, style and manners, the shopping experience, Florence compared to Rome.