This is a charming and simple ground-level apartment in the Oltrarno area of Florence - south of the river. I stayed there for three months - May through July. The back doors open onto a small courtyard with a vegetable garden behind it. This provided me with much more space and freedom to roam than the small balconies that everyone else in the building had. The small galley kitchen was kind of tight, but had all the equipment and appliances I needed, and the bathroom is small. The rest of the apartment was larger than I expected.

But the best part was the apartment manager, Marco, the owner of the apartment, Rudi, and the neighbors. We became fast friends. Marco speaks excellent English. Everyone else doesn't. But that was fine with me as they patiently helped me recover my lost Italian skills.

In case you're not aware Florence is one of, if not the, hottest cities in Italy (at least that's what my Italian friends from other cities told me). Appartamento Il Melograno is not air conditioned. So, keep this in mind as you consider this property.