We just returned from our trip to Italy. During our time in florence we chose to stay at Michele's apartment in the Santa Croce neighborhood. Having stayed in a hotel on the opposite side of centro the last two times we visited, we were forced to consider our options as we were traveling as a group of eight, rather than the two of us. I am glad that we chose Michele's flat.

The neighborhood is vibrant, and nicely located. The walk to Uffizi Gallery is perhaps three minutes. A few minutes more and you are at the duomo, and a few minutes beyond than that and you can enjoy Galleria dell'Accademia or the San Lorenzo leather market.

We were fortunate enough to be there on Notte Bianca, an annual celebration where the streets are teeming with people, and there are stages set around the city center with live musical performances until late in the night. It was quite loud that night, with more than the few drunken revelers that we often heard into the wee hours, but we slept with our windows open, each night.

The apartment was very attractive, and incredibly spacious. We could have accommodated two to four more people without feeling too crowded. With the eight of us it felt like we were never crammed in too tightly. The linens on the bed on which I slept were very high quality, and the mattress felt great. The kitchen was well-appointed, and provided us with all of the required dishes, flatware and cooking tools.

As a host, Michele was kind, informative and helpful. Fortunately, his English was far superior to my Italian. He provided us with a map and as much useful information about the locale as we could think to ask about.

I have only two complaints about the apartment. The first, and biggest issue, was with the internet. Our internet was very slow and inconsistent. Michele did the best he could to help us resolve the issue, and even made effort to contact the provider in order to resolve the issue, but unfortunately it couldn't be resolved until after our stay. The second, much smaller issue, was with the relatively small amount of paper products on site. There was enough toilet paper for our group, if barely, and no facial tissue, paper towels or garbage bags. We were able to go buy those items at the market, but I would hope to have all of those things adequately stocked prior to arrival.

The bottom line is that we loved the apartment. It may be too noisy for some (drunken American girls have no idea how to be quiet at 3 am) and the stairs might prove too much for one who is elderly or physically unfit, but with internet that allows one to work and play as one needs to, it is a spectacular place. Also, hire the chef. It is a great experience, and he was fantastic! Five Stars.