Alessandra was a very helpful host. She picked us up at the train station in Florence, and drove us back there when we left a week later. She also was very helpful in pointing us to local markets for food shopping, and to some sights we might otherwise miss, including a very old pharmacy near Santa Maria Novella (she actually drove us there to see it on the way to the train station before we left). Communication with her was easy and clear.

The apartment was very comfortable, and very well situated. It's literally right in the center of the old part of Florence, and within easy walking distance (mile or less) to many of the major attraction: Uffizi, Academia, Bargello, Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, etc. The neighborhood is safe, lively, and filled with little shops and restaurants. We grew particularly fond of the Piazza Gaetano Salvemini about two blocks away, and spend several hours there people watching, having a beer or a glass of limoncello. It's a perfect little square, full of life.

The Mercato Sant' Ambrogio is only a short walk away, and is a great place to shop for fresh produce, meats and cheese. It's only open mornings, but worth the effort to get there.

One caution for other travelers is that this apartment is not for the "faint of heart". It's a fifth floor walk-up (4 floors in European nomenclature, but 5 in American terminology. There is no elevator, so travelers with heavy bags or elderly or out of shape visitors need to be aware of this. For us, it was not a problem, and in fact, climbing the stairs several times a day probably worked off some the gelati we ate!

The other advice is that this is a very lively neighborhood late at night, and because of the narrow streets, sounds of late night revelers travel easily and seem to be amplified by the stone walls. Bring earplugs, or sleep with the windows closed if noise bothers you. (We noticed less loud noise later in the week and wonder if, when we arrived, new students were also arriving to begin their semester in the city. This would account for more noise earlier in the week.)

In terms of amenities, the bed is very comfortable, the apartment is roomy, the kitchen is reasonably well-equipped, and the clothes washing machine works fine, albeit slowly, and it takes some creative interpretation of the symbolism to figure out how to run it. The shower is weak, but that's a result of poor water pressure to the 5th floor, and the hot water is temperamental, but adequate once you figure it out. Wi-fi worked fine.

We really enjoyed our stay here, and would certainly return on another visit to Florence.

Thank you Alessandra. We had a wonderful stay. Grazie!