Barbara's place was absolutely perfect for us. It is on a street very close to the canal (2 streets) and 5 min walk to the train station (a Canadian 5 min not Italian 5 min!). When the taxi dropped us off upon first arrival we were kind of skiddish of the look of the street however Barbara met us there and brought us upstairs. Once we settled in and walked around we realized her place is in an incredible location!! It is a 10-15 minutes walk to everything. There are stairs to the apartment but were not an issue. Apartment on a lively street but not loud for sleeping. Bed was comfortable and sheets were cozy, could have used some extra towels.
Barbara showed us how to work everything in her apartment before leaving us for the week and all utilities worked seamlessly. The wifi was quick, ac was cool, and shower water was hot and consistent. Our next trip to Florence will surely have us back at Barbara's place, highly recommend to all travellers!!