Marco was a great host. He picked me up from the train station for a small charge and explained how one can get from the accomodation to the points of interest in Florence. He also told me about the bus stops and shops around the neighbourhood. In the flat he left me a map to use, a bottle of wine and some basic kitchen provisions.

There is a shop where one can buy bus tickets, newspapers, sandwiches, croissants and coffee about a 5 minute walk away. The shop owners speak only Italian but were very friendly.

The bus to the historic area of the city comes about every 20 minutes and is very convenient to use. The route to the city goes downhill and I enjoyed elevated views of the city along the route. The travel time to Piazza San Marco (a 5 minute walk from the Duomo and a 1 minute walk to Michaelangelo's David) is 10 minutes without traffic, but invariably ended up taking 20 minutes or so. I would reccomend buying tickets for your journey to town the previous day so you can catch the bus from right outside the loft and will not have to walk to the shop in the morning.

The flat itself is lovely. It is done up very well, great fittings and furnishings. Cozy lighting and smelled great (there was potpourri and scented candles). The bathroom and kitchen are very modern and sleek. The view ouside is of a rustic valley and the hills. I was there during January while it was a bit damp and drizzly but I'm sure that in the summers it will be lovely to relax outside.

If you are looking to be in the middle of the city with lots of activity around then this may not be the place for you. The neighbourhood is quiet, there are no cafes and restaurants around like there are in the historic areas. You will not be able to walk out to a great dinner. You will also have to do grocery shopping in the city if you plan to cook meals at home. However, the scenic village setting made up for having to travel to the town and I would still very much reccomend this accomodation.