2006-10-10 04:01:07 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Travel ➔ Italy ➔ Florence
Walk up to Piazza Michelangelo at leisure through the Boboli gardens and watch the sunset, or the shooting stars at night.
Go to the major local market and browse. Get up early and see the beavers swimming in the Arno. If you are there for a long time enrol for a language course at the university. Have a coffee on top of the Uffizi and feed your biscotto to the friendly little birds which will eat out of your hand. Go to the Easter day services at the duomo and see the bull cart procession, the stunning flower arrangements and the dove flying out. Chat up a native and get him to take you to a restaurant patronised by the locals rather than the tourists. If you have money, buy a garden bronze from the foundry near Ponte Vecchio. If you are Catholic go to a service a the convent of the Sacred Heart where the singing is glorious. Walk, walk , walk. The view from Fiesole is quite something too. Do not do Florence in one day, linger and enjoy!
2006-10-10 04:29:13 · answer #1 · answered by WISE OWL 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For something a little different, take the train to Bologna for a day trip and visit the museum of human anatomy at the university. They have pretty freaky stuff preserved in glass jars there - a two-tongued cow head, twin headed baby, other creepy things in a little room off the main viewing area. Plus a whole room full of wax models that look like real human bodies. If you like that sort of stuff then it's worth the visit. Otherwise there's great workshops in Bologna where artisans ply their trade in shopfront windows - pasta making, violin making. It's all very quaint. Also, being a university town, there's stacks of young people and plenty of music, so you're bound to make great friends.
2006-10-17 04:41:13 · answer #2 · answered by Pierre D 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hubby and I took the number 1 bus out of the station to the village of Fiesole in the mountains, it was very nice. Of course, the weather has to be suitable for this ... get a picnic together and spend the afternoon at the Roman amphitheatre, it's lovely.
And if you're in Florence and looking for a nice, reasonably priced place to eat, go to Gusto Leo, located at the Via del Proconsolo 8-10, in the city centre. They do really nice meals, and the staff are just lovely and friendly. At least they were to us!
2006-10-10 08:55:21 · answer #3 · answered by Orla C 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Take a bus out to Vinci. Where Leonado da Vinci came from.. A couple of museums, one with models of his inventions, fascinating. It's a small hill village and surprisingly untouristy. Surrounded by countryside and vineyards so you might coincide with the grape harvest and new wine! Enjoy.
Go south and visit Florence's rival city Siena. Train or bus direct and easy.
2006-10-10 07:49:39 · answer #4 · answered by Vagabonda 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Take a bus to Fiesole and walk around in the hills: it's beautiful in Spring...not so much in winter...
Visit the Palazzo Pitti Gallery...many tourists skip it, but I find it's great.
Go to San Miniato and visit the cemetery: very introspective.
Just walk around the city looking for some little trattoria or vinaino where you can still eat truly typical dishes and drink great chianti.
By the way... I'm sorry to say there are no beavers in the Arno river...what our friend Innocent on line saw were huge rats...I remember seeing them swim from one side of Ponte Vecchio to the other....yuck!!!
2006-10-10 21:05:11 · answer #5 · answered by pierluisa 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go to the forest, called Il Castagno with agroturism...olives, wine, lambs,potery.
Go to the Cinema Festival near Santa Croce church.
Go to Chianti to taste wines or directly to the Antinory House, near Santa Maria Novella , this is really smart, funny & elegant.
Go skiing in the Tuscany mountains.
Go to Fiesole: visit the Franciscan church & etruscan temple.
Go to the horse races: Cascine Park.
Go to the Opera or theatre releases: T.Verdi or Pergola.
2006-10-14 15:02:57 · answer #6 · answered by Gabrio 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are those beavers in the Arno? I thought they were rats!!!
Why not study Italian at one of the many schools? You can have an intensive course in the mornings and have your afternoonns free for whatever you want to do.
Oh, and take a trip to Volterra. It's a really interesting place and not so touristy as San Gimignano etc
2006-10-17 05:44:48 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you really want to see the culture of italy drive out of the city into the farm/mountain areas and just find a small town. If you go into a restaurant or store you will see the little italian lady in the kitchen hehe. The little villiages are where you will find true culture!
2006-10-10 05:53:25 · answer #8 · answered by BellaRia 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not to sure how to reply but what we did when we went to italy was get off the main areas and just catcha bus and go someone will always point you in the right direction back to where you came from but believe me you can see and learn so much it is a wonderfully welcoming country and people will go out of their way just to show you all the wonderous things this historical place has just go take your partner and get out and about i promise you will love it im welsh but if i won the lottery then italy and all it has to offer would be my idea of a holiday home it is awsome and its people are brilliant too have great time explore and come home fullfilled you will i promise
2006-10-10 04:16:45 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
someone asked that very same question a couple of weeks ago and i gave a long long response, (i live here in florence)
check out the link to read the same answer i gave before:
2006-10-10 06:01:51 · answer #10 · answered by sueet2b 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋