If you and the girls are looking for a great getaway, Florence is the perfect place. They have excellent weather, amazing views, and a good variety of history, culture, and shopping. The stores in Florence are some of the best and the street vendors will bargain with you, too. What more could you want when we get out of lockdown?
You can also enjoy a whole city of delicious food with Italian, Florentine, and Tuscan cuisine as the local specialties. Bread is served at almost every meal, so forget your low-carb diet. Meats like prosciutto are also served with many meals as an appetizer or starter. And, of course, pasta and wine are everywhere.
Bars and nightclubs are popular spots in Florence as well, with some of the best places on rooftops and along the waterfront. There is something magical about drinking with a view. But don’t bring your bags or backpacks. Leave your shopping and souvenirs at a luggage storage place in Florence before you continue your day.
Early Birds Get the Best Selfies
Piazza del Duomo
Enjoy a quick breakfast at the hotel before the crowd gets up. Take advantage of the peace and tranquility of the scenery you cannot enjoy once the rest of the tourists get up and about. From the Piazza del Duomo, you can get shots of the Duomo, Baptistry, and the Cathedral to name a few.
Piazza della Signoria
You can still beat the crowds if you get to the Piazza della Signoria before noon. The most popular feature here is the Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall, built in 1298. You can get some shots with a copy of Michelangelo’s David as well as many other sculptures in the square like Neptune, Hercules, and Perseus.
Piazza della Repubblica
The tourists are probably up, so this is the perfect time to head to this less popular plaza that is full of history. Get some amazing selfies and photos with the carousel, Arch of Triumph, and the Column of Abundance. The square also has some great historical coffee cafés where you can enjoy lunch.
Pamper Yourself with a Spa Treatment
White Iris Beauty Spa
Located at the Hotel Continentale, the White Iris Beauty Spa will help you relax after running around trying to beat the crowd. Some of the treatments include the Tibetan Sound Massage, the Hot Stone Massage, and the Bagni Di Pisa Mud Baths. Or you can try a mask or wrap to tone your body while relaxing.
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Nails and Beauty Firenze
After your spa treatment, why not go ahead and get your nails done too? Here you can get a mani/pedi the Italian way. They also do nail reconstruction, eyelash extensions, laser hair removal, and you can even get a makeover with the best products in Italy.
Retail Therapy at its Finest
Santa Maria Novella Beauty
At Santa Maria Novella Beauty you can get the full experience of perfume and other special items. The building dates back to 1612 and was made for Caterina de Medici. Enjoy the exquisite scents from beginning to end. You can also have a tasting session of wine, tea, and chocolates. The prices are high, but the quality is higher.
Street Markets and Vendors
The City of Florence also boasts a variety of street markets and vendors where you can get anything from handmade crafts to knockoff items. These are typically the best places to get those unique souvenirs you cannot get anywhere else. And the prices are always negotiable. Vendors love to haggle with tourists.
Firenze Mall
With more than 36 top name brand stores from Alberta Ferretti to Versace, you can probably spend the rest of the day in the Firenze Mall. They even have Gucci bags and Jimmy Choo fashion. If you get hungry, stop in at the Toscanini Bistro or the Restaurant & Bottega. The food is delicious at both places.
Dining in Florence
Gunè
For local cuisine in a fine dining establishment try Gunè. They have a stunning array of foods served so artistically; you will need to take some pics. Staffed with all women, you will feel extremely special in this amazing place. Don’t miss the sea bass, lampredotto with truffles, and the Jerusalem artichoke with oysters.
Sesto on Arno
You will love the food and the view at Sesto on Arno overlooking the city. Try the marinated beef carpaccio with hibiscus, ravioli with prawns, or marinated salmon with citrus. You can even get a cheeseburger and fries here with bacon and peppers. Although it is not like any burger you have ever tasted.
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Buca Lapi
If you want the best steak in Italy, Buca Lapi in the cellar of the Palazzo Antinori is the place to go. It is the oldest restaurant in Florence, founded in 1880. From beef to rabbit, duck, and wild boar, this fancy place can make it all taste divine. Dessert is amazing too with homemade crème caramel, dark chocolate, or apple cake.
Drinks with a View
See it all from the top of the Hotel Continentale at La Terrazza. They serve excellent drinks where you can enjoy views of the River Arno, Fort Belvedere, Palazzo Vecchio, and Brunelleschi’s Dome. From the Green Margarita to the sparkling rosemary wine, their choices are abundant and priced decently.
Golden View Open Bar
The name says it all because the view is golden, and the bar is open to all. You can get the best view of the Ponte Vecchio and River Arno from this cocktail and wine bar. The wine bar boasts 10,000 bottles with more than 600 labels. Enjoy the view while relaxing with a glass of whatever you desire.
La Rinascente
You can enjoy some shopping and a drink at this mall with a rooftop bar/café. Located right in the middle of Piazza della Republicca, you can see the Duomo, cathedral, and the amazing backdrop of the Tuscan hills. Sit back as you sip a glass of Chianti or have some Kamikaze or Lemon Drop shots.
If you have some extra time, you may want to spend it at some of the art galleries like the Accademia Gallery or the Uffizi Gallery where you can see works by da Vinci, Rembrandt, and many more. And be sure to get some gelato that the city is known for. You cannot get it anywhere else as you can in Florence.
Sources
• https://www.thezoereport.com/culture/travel/florence-italy-travel-guide
• http://www.missadventuresabroad.com/itinerary-girls-weekend-florence/
• http://itsallpink.com/features/item/finding-florence
• https://www.visitflorence.com/eating-and-drinking-in-florence/traditional-florentine-foods.html
Want to spruce up your home in 2021 but struggling for inspiration?
We can’t wait till things approach some semblance of normality and we can watch a big-screen blockbuster in our favourite cinema.
Which got us thinking about the fab furniture and household accouterments that complement moments of high drama, laughter, despair, and triumph in a few famous movies.
The silver screen can definitely be an artist’s palette to pluck some pretty good ideas from, so with that in mind, here are five iconic décor hacks from the big screen.
Blofeld chair
Planning world domination in 2021, or simply like nothing better than relaxing on black leather while you pamper your pussycat?
If you’re nodding your head, it’s time to invest in a G Plan 6250 swivel chair from After Noah. This is just like the one Bond supervillain Ernst Stavro Blofeld perched his posterior on in You Only Live Twice. Fluffy white feline optional if you’re more of a dog person.
Austin Powers sofa
If you love kitsch décor then grabbing a Salvador Dali-inspired red bocca lips sofa from MyFaktory is a must.
This plush and sensuous conversation piece famously featured in Austin Powers and it’s a classic that never goes out of style.
ET dining table
As furniture freaks, we’ve always loved the triangular kitchen table that features in ET – the retro style rocks and the configuration is dynamic and sociable.
You can find a smaller triangular table from La Redoute that looks like something borrowed from a Swinging Sixties movie set – snap it up for stylish dinners where the conversation flows like a bubbling brook.
Marie Antionette floor
FancyMarie Antoinette
You can grab something similar from Flooring Superstore and it looks fab in a kitchen, bathroom or even a hallway.
Red Doors portal
Nothing makes guests feel welcome quite as much as a freshly painted front door in your favourite colour.
For us, no shade comes near red for a positive and welcoming vibe and this was a central motif for the movie Red Doors – find a solid and stylish model from specialists Oakwood Doors and create a cracking first impression for your domestic sanctuary.
These five home décor hacks from the big screen are the perfect way to zhush up your home, improve its ambiance, and enhance its aesthetic appeal.
One way or another, spending more time at home is likely to be the reality for most of us from now on, which is why making yours as comfy, attractive, and inspirational as possible is absolutely essential.
Good luck with your domestic refurbishments and here’s hoping for a happier and more positive 2021!
Which movies influence your home style? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
