This is a spacious and beautiful apartment with a narrow winding staircase to a loft that has a second bed and a desk. We loved this apartment. It is a superb value, and Olivia is a great host.
Here are some tips for enjoying your stay in this perfectly located apartment.
1. There is an excellent grocery store at the bottom of the hill a very short distance away. Great premade meals, so you don't have to ransack your budget eating out all the time.
2. As you exit the front door, on the corner to your left, not fifty feet from the building's front door is a restaurant that serves great Middle Eastern food. I've heard it blasted in some reviews, but those reviews generally complain that it's not really Italian (it serves pizza but not wine).
3. There is a washer but no dryer (this is typical in Firenze), so make use of the laundry rack.
4. If you're on a long trip and need shirts ironed, take them down to the Lavanderia Olivieria Simone. A very short walk. Two-day turnaround, great prices, excellent quality. They'll return your shirts neatly folded in a very packable state.
5. If you go out the front door and head up the hill and take you're first right, you'll happen upon the Trattoria Borodino. It opens for dinner at 7 PM and it's a great place to get a Florentine steak.
6. If you're wandering around Firenze and get lost, look for the Duomo and go to the side where you're facing the baptistry. Turn your back to the baptistry, then take the road that runs to the right of the shops you're facing. It will take you straight back to Ponte Vecchio.
7. When it's time to leave, head down the hill and look to your right, and you'll see a taxi stand less than a hundred feet away.
You'll love this place, believe me. It is close to everything.