I couldn’t think of a more perfect place I start my trip to Italy. After being in transit for 26 hours with no sleep and dragging my luggage through the street in the hot sun to Piazza el Duomo, I must say I was not in the best mood. But upon arrival, I met Dani and her bright smile and beautiful apartment lifted my spirits. You couldn’t ask for a better location, it is centrally located and within walking distance to the Galleria degli Uffizi, Galleria de’Accademia, Santa Maria Novella, Ponte Vecchio, not to mention a numerous restaurants, bars and places to go shopping.
The studio itself was impeccably clean, and the decor is very charming. Dani is an artist so there are art supplies as well, if you would feel so inclined. She stocked the places with snacks, fruit, drinks, toiletries, and caffé (which I took advantage of every day). I would have caffé before going out to have more caffé.
Dani would respond to all my questions very quickly, which was great because I would have to look for places with free WiFi in order to communicate. She even saved me when I locked myself out of the flat (I’m...very forgetful). And gave me good advice on how to make the most of my trip. Fair and warning, the apartment was looking in the middle of a very busy piazza, so be prepared to hear the sounds of the city, but for me it was a joy waking up to watch the sunrise and hear the church bells. There was no A/C, but I didn’t mind at all because of the ceiling fan, and you get a good amount of ventilation from the windows. Be sure to plug in the bug repellent thing if you plan on keeping the windows open...I forgot and was a tasty snack for the mosquitoes.
I didn’t think I could fall in love with a building, but I would find myself laying in bed and staring at Santa Maria del Foire and the Duomo and basking in its glory. Dani was right, I like Firenze more than Roma, it has all the activity of the city but it’s much easier to navigate. I want to com back and visit every year!