A Florence Hotel That Has It All
Word Count:
514
Summary:
What do you look for in a hotel? A Florence hotel is sure to have it all. Some want a quiet retreat while others want to be close to the action. Making your own checklist of your likes and dislikes when it comes to turning in for the night will help you find a good Florence hotel. This will serve as your home base to day excursions or just a walking tour of the city.
Florence Accommodation Checklist
Take a minute to evaluate your preferences by answering a few questions...
Keywords:
florence, italy, travel,
Article Body:
What do you look for in a hotel? A Florence hotel is sure to have it all. Some want a quiet retreat while others want to be close to the action. Making your own checklist of your likes and dislikes when it comes to turning in for the night will help you find a good Florence hotel. This will serve as your home base to day excursions or just a walking tour of the city.
Florence Accommodation Checklist
Take a minute to evaluate your preferences by answering a few questions:
1. Do you like an extremely quiet hotel?
2. Do you like to rent a car and drive to most attractions?
3. Would you like a home-like feeling to your sleeping arrangements?
4. Is it important for you to be able to cook small snacks or meals in your room?
5. Will you have children with you on your Florence vacation?
If you answered “yes” to most of these questions then you many like a Florence farmhouse or apartment arrangement. A farmhouse will be outside the city limits and apartments can be either in town or further away in the surrounding towns.
Now evaluate yourself on these questions:
1. Do you like to have room service at your hotel?
2. Would you prefer to use public transportation to get around?
3. Do you want to be within walking distance of tourist attractions?
4. Is it important to you to have services available 24 hours per day?
5. Do you like an active night life?
If you answered “yes” to most of these questions, then you are probably looking for a larger hotel, perhaps a well-known chain, in the heart of the city. Here you will have amenities such as room service, and you will be able to get around without having to rent a car.
The Sites of Florence
Within the general area of Florence there are hotels, bed & breakfast inns, farmhouses, villas and apartments. If you are planning to stay for an extended vacation or 2 weeks or more, it can be more affordable to stay in a villa or apartment where you can shop for your own groceries and not need to eat every meal out.
If you are looking for luxury and service, then full-service hotels or well-staffed villas are a good option. No matter what type of accommodations you choose, you will want to visit the Florence museums and travel the countryside of Tuscany.
Within the city limits of Florence there is world-class shopping. Gold and leather are especially good purchases, since the quality is extremely high, but prices are low. Also, the museums of Florence house masterpieces by the world’s greatest artists. In the country side you will find the wine of Chianti to be a memorable experience.
Everything is within a short drive outside the city or within walking distance in the city. So no matter what type of Florence hotel you end up staying in, you will not be far from the best tourist attractions. Also within a day’s drive or train ride are the attractions of Venice, Rome, and Bologna. Florence is central to it all.
Showing posts with label florence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label florence. Show all posts
Sunday, February 13, 2011
A Florence Accommodation To Remember
A Florence Accommodation To Remember
Word Count:
573
Summary:
Wouldn’t it be great to show up at your hotel absolutely sure that you’ve book the type of place you really wanted. We’ve all been there. We have looked up hotels online and hope to book one based on pictures and descriptions that will make a nice stopping place at the end of a busy day touring. Then, after a long day of travel we show up just to find that the place is much older and run down than the pictures implied. And what happened to the year-round indoor pool? Under co...
Keywords:
florence, italy,
Article Body:
Wouldn’t it be great to show up at your hotel absolutely sure that you’ve book the type of place you really wanted. We’ve all been there. We have looked up hotels online and hope to book one based on pictures and descriptions that will make a nice stopping place at the end of a busy day touring. Then, after a long day of travel we show up just to find that the place is much older and run down than the pictures implied. And what happened to the year-round indoor pool? Under construction? It can be extremely frustrating to plan a vacation and have the most basic of arrangements turn out wrong. Where you stay can greatly impact the quality of the entire trip. After all, at the end of the day, everyone wants to retire to a clean and comfortable place that will serve as their home away from home.
Types of Florence Accommodations
In Florence and the surrounding Tuscany region you will find four main types of accommodations. There is the Florence farmhouse, which are actually located in the countryside outside of Florence in areas such as Siena and Chianti.
The farmhouse has the charm of old days and the luxury of a quaint bed and breakfast atmosphere. Often the morning meal and some dinners are included in the reservations. Farmhouses are family-friendly and the surrounding grounds have plenty of room for the kids to run around. Some will even accommodate small dogs.
Many farmhouse reservations will include tours of the countryside. These may include wine tasting and visits to the sea.
A villa can be found both inside the city limits and in the countryside. Usually villas are old castles or mansions that have been turned into homes away from home for extended visits. These can be quite luxurious and run the gamut of pricing. A villa, depending on where it is located, usually has a swimming pool. There is space and luxury enough to entertain business associates or newly made friends on your vacation. Some are suited to children, but it may be a good idea to check if young children would be welcome. It can be more stressful than relaxing if you are constantly worrying about what a young child might get into in a luxury villa.
An apartment may be the best type of accommodation for extended visits to the Tuscany region. Trips that are weeks or months long can be tiring if you are living out of a suitcase and eating every meal out. With an apartment in the city you will be close to work and play, can accommodate a family spending a long vacation, and be close to all the action. You will have the facilities to cook meals, picking up the freshest produce at the central market, and often there will be places to do laundry close by if not in the apartment building.
Hotels are best for those who like to be pampered on their trip to Italy. You can sample some of the best Florence, Italy recipes through room service or a leisurely stroll to a downtown restaurant along the river Arno. Many hotels are kid-friendly especially if only for a few nights.
Remember, your accommodations can be viewed as either a quick place to stop for the night or a part of the whole Florence experience. You decide what will give you the vacation of your dreams.
Word Count:
573
Summary:
Wouldn’t it be great to show up at your hotel absolutely sure that you’ve book the type of place you really wanted. We’ve all been there. We have looked up hotels online and hope to book one based on pictures and descriptions that will make a nice stopping place at the end of a busy day touring. Then, after a long day of travel we show up just to find that the place is much older and run down than the pictures implied. And what happened to the year-round indoor pool? Under co...
Keywords:
florence, italy,
Article Body:
Wouldn’t it be great to show up at your hotel absolutely sure that you’ve book the type of place you really wanted. We’ve all been there. We have looked up hotels online and hope to book one based on pictures and descriptions that will make a nice stopping place at the end of a busy day touring. Then, after a long day of travel we show up just to find that the place is much older and run down than the pictures implied. And what happened to the year-round indoor pool? Under construction? It can be extremely frustrating to plan a vacation and have the most basic of arrangements turn out wrong. Where you stay can greatly impact the quality of the entire trip. After all, at the end of the day, everyone wants to retire to a clean and comfortable place that will serve as their home away from home.
Types of Florence Accommodations
In Florence and the surrounding Tuscany region you will find four main types of accommodations. There is the Florence farmhouse, which are actually located in the countryside outside of Florence in areas such as Siena and Chianti.
The farmhouse has the charm of old days and the luxury of a quaint bed and breakfast atmosphere. Often the morning meal and some dinners are included in the reservations. Farmhouses are family-friendly and the surrounding grounds have plenty of room for the kids to run around. Some will even accommodate small dogs.
Many farmhouse reservations will include tours of the countryside. These may include wine tasting and visits to the sea.
A villa can be found both inside the city limits and in the countryside. Usually villas are old castles or mansions that have been turned into homes away from home for extended visits. These can be quite luxurious and run the gamut of pricing. A villa, depending on where it is located, usually has a swimming pool. There is space and luxury enough to entertain business associates or newly made friends on your vacation. Some are suited to children, but it may be a good idea to check if young children would be welcome. It can be more stressful than relaxing if you are constantly worrying about what a young child might get into in a luxury villa.
An apartment may be the best type of accommodation for extended visits to the Tuscany region. Trips that are weeks or months long can be tiring if you are living out of a suitcase and eating every meal out. With an apartment in the city you will be close to work and play, can accommodate a family spending a long vacation, and be close to all the action. You will have the facilities to cook meals, picking up the freshest produce at the central market, and often there will be places to do laundry close by if not in the apartment building.
Hotels are best for those who like to be pampered on their trip to Italy. You can sample some of the best Florence, Italy recipes through room service or a leisurely stroll to a downtown restaurant along the river Arno. Many hotels are kid-friendly especially if only for a few nights.
Remember, your accommodations can be viewed as either a quick place to stop for the night or a part of the whole Florence experience. You decide what will give you the vacation of your dreams.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
A Farmhouse Holiday Florence Style
A Farmhouse Holiday Florence Style
Word Count:
518
Summary:
A farmhouse holiday in Florence is sure to be the vacation you never forget. Many old farmhouses in Florence and the surrounding Tuscan region were once the estates of the country’s nobility. Now they are the places where families and friends can all get together in one large, warm, friendly place and make it their home base for discovering all that Tuscany has to offer.
Amenities and Activities at a Florence Farmhouse
The farmhouse holiday Florence style is one that is...
Keywords:
florence,holidays,
Article Body:
A farmhouse holiday in Florence is sure to be the vacation you never forget. Many old farmhouses in Florence and the surrounding Tuscan region were once the estates of the country’s nobility. Now they are the places where families and friends can all get together in one large, warm, friendly place and make it their home base for discovering all that Tuscany has to offer.
Amenities and Activities at a Florence Farmhouse
The farmhouse holiday Florence style is one that is filled with adventure and relaxation all at once. Situated in the hillsides of Tuscany, a farmhouse is central to some of the region’s best tourist attractions. You are close to cities for their museums and culture, yet away from the noise and hustle and bustle of the nightlife. You are short walk or bike ride from the best pizzerias, cafes, and restaurants, or you can choose to eat a quiet meal at “home.”
Many farmhouse rentals come with some meals included. Also included are the equipment and “toys” round at the homestead. For example, bicycles, swimming gear, even motorcycles can often be borrowed or rented. You can also have use of the pool or drive or walk a short distance to the beaches along the coast, depending on where your farmhouse rental is located.
Both long and short term rentals are possible at a Florence farmhouse. The rates are generally between 400 and 800 Euros per week depending on how many people are in your party. The price will also be higher if meals are included.
Why Choose a Farmhouse
A farmhouse offers the space and flexibility to explore the region at a relaxed pace. It is also great for families with smaller children who may need the room for running and playing. A quieter atmosphere and the close proximity to attractions, make a farmhouse an attractive alternative to hotel living for families with young children.
If you prefer nature and the outdoors to city life, then this is a vacation where you can hike, ride horses or bicycles, and swim by day and then eat, drink, dance, and get a good night’s rest by night. The owners of the farmhouses have usually had the homes in their families for generations and make visitors feel like long lost relatives with their warmth and hospitality.
What is Included?
More advantages to staying in a farmhouse are the home like amenities that are included with your rental. You will access to the kitchen, more than one full bath, laundry facilities, and the room for family members to have their own space, instead of crowding into a couple of small hotel rooms.
The best of both hotel life and home life are combined at the farmhouse. You will have housekeeping services that change bed linens and take care of making sure you have plenty of clean towels. You will also be able to get to know your hosts, many of which will cook meals according to your preferences and requests. There is nothing quite as inviting as an Italisan Mama making the pasta just the way you like it!
Word Count:
518
Summary:
A farmhouse holiday in Florence is sure to be the vacation you never forget. Many old farmhouses in Florence and the surrounding Tuscan region were once the estates of the country’s nobility. Now they are the places where families and friends can all get together in one large, warm, friendly place and make it their home base for discovering all that Tuscany has to offer.
Amenities and Activities at a Florence Farmhouse
The farmhouse holiday Florence style is one that is...
Keywords:
florence,holidays,
Article Body:
A farmhouse holiday in Florence is sure to be the vacation you never forget. Many old farmhouses in Florence and the surrounding Tuscan region were once the estates of the country’s nobility. Now they are the places where families and friends can all get together in one large, warm, friendly place and make it their home base for discovering all that Tuscany has to offer.
Amenities and Activities at a Florence Farmhouse
The farmhouse holiday Florence style is one that is filled with adventure and relaxation all at once. Situated in the hillsides of Tuscany, a farmhouse is central to some of the region’s best tourist attractions. You are close to cities for their museums and culture, yet away from the noise and hustle and bustle of the nightlife. You are short walk or bike ride from the best pizzerias, cafes, and restaurants, or you can choose to eat a quiet meal at “home.”
Many farmhouse rentals come with some meals included. Also included are the equipment and “toys” round at the homestead. For example, bicycles, swimming gear, even motorcycles can often be borrowed or rented. You can also have use of the pool or drive or walk a short distance to the beaches along the coast, depending on where your farmhouse rental is located.
Both long and short term rentals are possible at a Florence farmhouse. The rates are generally between 400 and 800 Euros per week depending on how many people are in your party. The price will also be higher if meals are included.
Why Choose a Farmhouse
A farmhouse offers the space and flexibility to explore the region at a relaxed pace. It is also great for families with smaller children who may need the room for running and playing. A quieter atmosphere and the close proximity to attractions, make a farmhouse an attractive alternative to hotel living for families with young children.
If you prefer nature and the outdoors to city life, then this is a vacation where you can hike, ride horses or bicycles, and swim by day and then eat, drink, dance, and get a good night’s rest by night. The owners of the farmhouses have usually had the homes in their families for generations and make visitors feel like long lost relatives with their warmth and hospitality.
What is Included?
More advantages to staying in a farmhouse are the home like amenities that are included with your rental. You will access to the kitchen, more than one full bath, laundry facilities, and the room for family members to have their own space, instead of crowding into a couple of small hotel rooms.
The best of both hotel life and home life are combined at the farmhouse. You will have housekeeping services that change bed linens and take care of making sure you have plenty of clean towels. You will also be able to get to know your hosts, many of which will cook meals according to your preferences and requests. There is nothing quite as inviting as an Italisan Mama making the pasta just the way you like it!
Friday, November 26, 2010
"The Peace Crib" - A Modern Neapolitan Crib In Florence
"The Peace Crib" - A Modern Neapolitan Crib In Florence
Word Count:
515
Summary:
“The first time I came to Italy, in Naples, I was struck by the cribs of 1700. They opened new horizons to me. I was used to the one of the Metropolitan Museum of New York, small and simple at the base of an imposing Christmas Tree.
The cribs of Naples were a real discovery to me!” Together with the crib Yvonne DiPalma – born in Philadelphia – met also the sculptor Michele Attanasio. She fell in love with him, got married and with him opened the “Paul Whistler Art Gallery”...
Keywords:
tuscany,chianti,travel,florence,firenze,italy,art,crib,presepe
Article Body:
“The first time I came to Italy, in Naples, I was struck by the cribs of 1700. They opened new horizons to me. I was used to the one of the Metropolitan Museum of New York, small and simple at the base of an imposing Christmas Tree.
The cribs of Naples were a real discovery to me!” Together with the crib Yvonne DiPalma – born in Philadelphia – met also the sculptor Michele Attanasio. She fell in love with him, got married and with him opened the “Paul Whistler Art Gallery”, near Sorrento.
For Christmas, in a place where everybody prepares a crib, they started to make one in the Gallery: scenarios by Michele and characters by Yvonne.
This is how it has begun, by chance, the most charming and passionate adventure of the life of this artist. In the first “Installation” there are 20 characters: sculptures representing the people of the town and famous figures.
This was the start of a thirty-year experience. Every year after that debut in 1976-77 it has had more and more success; it was an opening up of a new life.
The crib emigrated to Florence where it found in Monsignor Setti a supporter and in the Basilica of San Lorenzo a home. In the town of iris the two artists found the same enthusiasm of the first time: that miracle of a sincere participation.
After San Lorenzo, it went to Loggia Rucellai (1981), then to Rome, in the Oratory of Santa Maria in Via, then back to Florence, in the church next to the Gallery of San Jacopo Sopr’Arno (1991). In 1992 the crib by Yvonne was the set in the Theatre Parioli of the programme Maurizio Costanzo Show.
Since then, the work increased “at home” until the interlude of Christmas 1999, when it was lent to the 7th International Festival “Costruimo il Natale”, in the crypt of Santa Croce of Florence.
And now let’s know better this very special crib made of characters of about 50-centimetre height. Yvonne creates the body with iron wire, fabric and stuffing.
To be noticed that all clothes are sews one by one and represent the Neapolitan models of the 18th century. The heads and hair are in terracotta; each sculpted head is a masterpiece of refinement. All characters have the features either of people the artist has met in her life or of famous figures, among them many international politicians: the presidents of United States Nixon, Reagan, Carter, then the Russian, Italian, French, Chinese ones etc. Thirty years of history of 1900 in a crib…
Beside the human characters, there is the world of international animals: in addition to the traditional ox and donkey, there are also horses, sheep, cats, elephants, cocks, baboons, rams, kangaroos, etc… all in terracotta reproduced in the minutest details.
How many are the Crib characters now? Yvonne has stopped counting when they have been more than 200!
They have got out of control and have become alive! Indefatigable, Yvonne creates different groups and expressions, always reflecting upon life and world around us.
Do not miss it in Florence, Via San Zanobi 58 - http://www.yvonnedipalma.com/
Word Count:
515
Summary:
“The first time I came to Italy, in Naples, I was struck by the cribs of 1700. They opened new horizons to me. I was used to the one of the Metropolitan Museum of New York, small and simple at the base of an imposing Christmas Tree.
The cribs of Naples were a real discovery to me!” Together with the crib Yvonne DiPalma – born in Philadelphia – met also the sculptor Michele Attanasio. She fell in love with him, got married and with him opened the “Paul Whistler Art Gallery”...
Keywords:
tuscany,chianti,travel,florence,firenze,italy,art,crib,presepe
Article Body:
“The first time I came to Italy, in Naples, I was struck by the cribs of 1700. They opened new horizons to me. I was used to the one of the Metropolitan Museum of New York, small and simple at the base of an imposing Christmas Tree.
The cribs of Naples were a real discovery to me!” Together with the crib Yvonne DiPalma – born in Philadelphia – met also the sculptor Michele Attanasio. She fell in love with him, got married and with him opened the “Paul Whistler Art Gallery”, near Sorrento.
For Christmas, in a place where everybody prepares a crib, they started to make one in the Gallery: scenarios by Michele and characters by Yvonne.
This is how it has begun, by chance, the most charming and passionate adventure of the life of this artist. In the first “Installation” there are 20 characters: sculptures representing the people of the town and famous figures.
This was the start of a thirty-year experience. Every year after that debut in 1976-77 it has had more and more success; it was an opening up of a new life.
The crib emigrated to Florence where it found in Monsignor Setti a supporter and in the Basilica of San Lorenzo a home. In the town of iris the two artists found the same enthusiasm of the first time: that miracle of a sincere participation.
After San Lorenzo, it went to Loggia Rucellai (1981), then to Rome, in the Oratory of Santa Maria in Via, then back to Florence, in the church next to the Gallery of San Jacopo Sopr’Arno (1991). In 1992 the crib by Yvonne was the set in the Theatre Parioli of the programme Maurizio Costanzo Show.
Since then, the work increased “at home” until the interlude of Christmas 1999, when it was lent to the 7th International Festival “Costruimo il Natale”, in the crypt of Santa Croce of Florence.
And now let’s know better this very special crib made of characters of about 50-centimetre height. Yvonne creates the body with iron wire, fabric and stuffing.
To be noticed that all clothes are sews one by one and represent the Neapolitan models of the 18th century. The heads and hair are in terracotta; each sculpted head is a masterpiece of refinement. All characters have the features either of people the artist has met in her life or of famous figures, among them many international politicians: the presidents of United States Nixon, Reagan, Carter, then the Russian, Italian, French, Chinese ones etc. Thirty years of history of 1900 in a crib…
Beside the human characters, there is the world of international animals: in addition to the traditional ox and donkey, there are also horses, sheep, cats, elephants, cocks, baboons, rams, kangaroos, etc… all in terracotta reproduced in the minutest details.
How many are the Crib characters now? Yvonne has stopped counting when they have been more than 200!
They have got out of control and have become alive! Indefatigable, Yvonne creates different groups and expressions, always reflecting upon life and world around us.
Do not miss it in Florence, Via San Zanobi 58 - http://www.yvonnedipalma.com/
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