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41 Responses
Your favorite pasta fresca restaurant in the Oltrarno ?
Al & Anne-Marie Mastraccio Sanford, Maine
Good question! Tamero in Piazza Santo Spirito is very well known for their pasta fresca and I am in love with Enoteca Le Barrique on via del leone!
Hi,
I am a recently retired teacher who daydreams about living at least part of the year around the Florence area. I would think apts. out of the center would be cheaper. I love what I read about Montecatini. I am not wealthy, and I am particularly concerned about the dollar to euro exchange. Everything will be like one-third more! This is my question: is there a lot of paperwork involved in living part of the year there? I suppose I would have to get a visa…Would someone my age (61) be able to sign up for health insurance? Do you have any idea what the monthly cost for two adults in their early 60’s be? Do you know of a good website for me?
Thanks!
Deborah Bertoldi DeCoteau
Hi!
I recently move here to study for a year and my new friend from Egypt tall me about your blog. I love “How to meet more people in Florence”, I was asking me how!
Anyways! I want to ask you if you know where I can buy personal products as Lotions with better prices. It’s crazy to pay 10 Euros for lotion.
I will really appreciate all your help.
Thanks,
Yasmin
Hello Yasmin! you share the same name as a good friend of mine. I know it can be tough to find cheaper items, try stores like Kiko, Upim or Oviesse for lotions with better prices. I normally stock up when I am in the states..
Hi, I just found your site while searching about gyms in Florence. My husband and I will be there for two months starting in October. Lots of great information, thanks! I plan on using the Barre3.com online workouts while in Florence. Easy to do and a great whole body work, lots of core and back body strengthening. I have been attending the Barre3 Studio in Portland, Oregon and love the work out! The instructors are wonderful and I feel taller and stronger. Thought you might like to give it a try. Your site is great!
Thanks,
Beth
Hi Georgette,
I recently moved from the uk to study in Florence for the year. I was wondering if you know of any good places to swim indoors- not sure what the situation is with public pools/memberships as I can only seem to find expensive clubs or outdoor pools for the summer.
Thanks in advance for any tips 🙂
Caitlin
Hello Caitlin, there are some pools near the center that are inexpensive to join. They do have specific hours when you can swim, because often they have people training their as well. . I would definitely pay a visit to
Piscina Comunale San Marcellino – Fiorentina Nuoto
Address: Via Chiantigiana 28
Nannini (Bellariva)
Address: Lungarno Aldo Moro, 6
Phone: 055 677 521
Thanks!
I will definitely check those out. Also, I love everything on the blog- it’s really helped me start to fing my feet in Florence xxx
Hello—love your blog. Will be in Levanto fist wk October and want to know best way to visit Florence just for the day. Train takes several hrs with time in between and private driver for 3 of us seems very expensive. What should we expect to pay for a driver to Florence from Levanto?
Hello Madi, welcome to Florence and I feel your pain, I’ve definitely had that happen before. I actually just tried a new place in the city that I adore, he did a wonderful color/cut job on my hair. He is called Arturo, (authors hair) in piazza pitti 5r. Essentially the only salon in piazza pitti. He speaks English and can take care of you!
Hi there, my mother Vivian, and I are coming to Florence for the first time!! I see where you list monthly events, do you happen to know when you will post November’s? We will be there November 19-22 and don’t want to miss a thing!
Wonderful blog! Great to have feedback from a fellow American. When I travel I like to feel more like a local and not stand out as a tourist. Your information is invaluable . We will be staying in Florence for two weeks the end of November/ first part of December and renting a friends apartment in Santo Sparito. Doing lots of walking, day trips on the train, etc. I live in Southern Oregon, right now the weather is in the 50s, getting some rain. Can I expect the same in Florence?
Hi Georgette,
Sorry to bombard you with another question (that may be a bit silly and obvious!)- but how on earth do you receive parcels in Italy, either from another country or things you’ve ordered online? Because I can’t work out how it would be delivered! I’m a student and rent a room in an apartment. There are the little private postboxes in the hallway of the building which are fine for letters etc but what about anything bigger?
Hope you can help.
Best wishes,
Caitlin
Ciao Georgette! found your excellent website from an article in International Living! We love Florence- try to go every year for 3 weeks or so- we stay in Oltrarno on Dello Sprone! love the neighborhood we also discovered a section behind Santa Croce and San Ambrogio, large flea market and food market there. We never found out the name of that district- do you know it? We also love Ristorante Chinghiale Bianco-
Hello Ed! How cool is that? I just saw the article myself on Monday so its wonderful that you have already found me through it. You stay on my street, I live on via dello sprone, what a small world! I think you are talking about piazza ciompi, (near sant.ambrogio) they have an on-going flea market and it is really is a lovely area. You guys should try il Santo Bevitore and Il Barrique next time you’re in town :).
Amazing! yes its a small world! we used to stay around the corner on via Tuscanello opposite the little osteria (forget the name) but this year it was under construction so we found via dello sprone 6 which we really love! Thanks for the piazza name! yes now we remember it –
and thanks for the suggestions we will check them out when we are back next September
grazie mille!
Ed and Val
My pleasure! this area is getting even better, there are so many cool places opening up – we are lucky!
Hi
Love your site, we are off to Florence (from UK) in November, we are flying in to Pisa what is the best way to transfer to our Hotel in Florence..bus or train, should we pre-book ?
Hello Sue, you don’t need to pre-book, the connections from Pisa to Florence train station are very frequent via both bus & train so you will have no problems. If your hotel is in the historical center of Florence it should be a short walk from the train station 🙂
I’m interested in Susan’s scarves. Please do forward this request to ‘Susan’s People…’
Regards, Roseann
Hi,
I moved to Florence a few days ago and I am in search for affordable stores to buy all the home necessities but I can’t find anything.
Do you have any suggestions?
To be honest, it’s probably easiest to hop in a taxi or a bus and go to Ikea for affordable home goods. Otherwise there is a shop on Borgo La Croce called “che gusto” which has a lot of stuff.
Thank you so much! I also ended up going to Coin, which wasn’t bad at all!
Hey Georgette! I just found your blog recently after listening to a podcast episode that featured you! I’m finding your blog extremely useful in finding ideas to plan my vacation to Florence in early May. Can you recommend any May activities or will you be posting about that soon? Thank you for any feedback!
Hello Stephanie! That’s really exciting! Which podcast was it if you don’t mind me asking? :D. I’m happy that you are finding the blog useful. My May suggestion on what’s on around town won’t be out until later this month but if you have any specific questions on activities etc. feel free to ask!
Hey Georgette – Thanks for your response. The podcast was How to Tour Italy from May of last year. I’ll keep a look out for you May post, but I didn’t have anything particular in mind, I think your April information was helpful already. Just wanted to see if you knew of anything coming up that a traveller wouldn’t be aware of! Thanks again 🙂
I’m coming to Florence at the beginning of May. My boyfriend will be working day so I’ll have the daytime to myself. Will you be posting a May Things to See and Do list? And, will it be posted at the end of April so I can plan some things before I arrive?
BTW, I love your your blog and all the articles. Thanks!
Hi there-
I am traveling to Florence in June for a wedding.
The wedding will be held at Vill il Pallagio in Figline Valdarno.
Would you have recommendations of a nice place on the higher end to stay for the weekend.
Hi. I have a question I hope you can answer. My soggiorno will be expired by June of 2015. Can I apply as early as January 2015? Because I need to go back to my country in the Philippines to continue my studies.
Usually you have to apply 90 days before, not any longer, but it’s worth stopping by the questura to ask them directly as they never answer the phone or email Good luck Kevin!
Hey there…
I’ve been following and reading and drooling over the food for a while on your blog. While I absolutely love reading about all things Tuscany and Florence in particular, why is it can’t find any blogs from expats in Milan? I’ve been curious about understanding more about that part of the country. Do you have any ‘blog friends’ there? If so, could you pass on their web links. Grazie, io sono grato! Ciao!
Hi, just wanted to thank you for your recommendation on Via Dei Ginori 23, went today and had a wonderful experience. Thanks, all the way (temporarily in Florence,) from Tasmania.
Hi Georgette. I just wanted to let you know that you need a closing tag after your Facebook link as it’s causing everything after that to link to Facebook, which means nobody can send you a message via your contact form. All you need to do is add at the end of that link.
Thank you Cameron! I will work on this!
Just wanted to thank you for the great recommendations on your blog. I just returned from Florence after visiting my daughter (who is there for the semester!). Spent a great 6 days in the Oltrarno hoping to run into you (lol). We really enjoyed Osteria dell’Enoteca, Berbere, Ditta Artigniale and Osteria il Buongustai among other places. Also wanted to recommend a great marbled paper shop we found – Alberto Cozzi on Via del Parione, 35. Not sure you’ve been there 🙂
Grazie mille and keep up the great work. Hope to return a Firenze soon.
Thank you so much for your kind words Elaine! Some of the places are my favorites and I’m happy you got to experience them too! Thanks for the head’s up as well :). Hope you make it back too!
Hi Georgette,
I assume you receive dozen million messages like this, but I thought, let’s try. My name is Annefleur and I am from the Netherlands. My boyfriend (Erik) and I are currently in Florence for 5 weeks, as a ‘test’ to live here. We lost our twin girls a year ago (May 14) after 34 weeks of pregnancy. I’t s been a year of grief and sadness and babyboom among friends and we need a change. I read about your babyboy and now babygirl. Please know it gives hope for people like us.
We are now thinking of moving to Florence for a while (year? Longer?) Erik speaks Italian quite well (lived in Rome) and I can work from my office in Italy. Erik probably can work from here as well. So the basics are set up for sort of a succes. But I have so many questions. I read your blogs and they are so helpful. But now comes the crazy questions: if you ever have the time and would be interested for a chat, via email/coffee/phone, please let me know. But I totally understand if you dont have the time or want to..
All the best,
Annefleur
Hello, thanks for your time,
I have a quick question, I am wondering about the best time and way to discuss working with you and asking some questions i have before we got started, thanks 🙂 looking forward to hearing from you
Marie-Eve
Feel free to email me at ggncally84 at hotmail dot com.