Maria Cristina's apartment is on the first floor of what is obviously quite an old building; the hallway and stairs to the flat are stone and the air is cool and smells a bit like a church. After a scorching hot day in Florence it's a delight to open the front door and escape into this cool archaic little haven. Despite the age of the building the apartment is modern and well-designed. Air-conditioning in lounge and bedroom is most welcome. The bathroom has a great shower - just make sure the tap is pointing to the red side and you wait for hot water. The galley kitchen is well equipped for a couple or solo traveller. No microwave but a roomy fridge, gas hob and dishwasher, plenty of cutlery and crockery and a little stand alone oven which we didn't use. The lounge has a comfy sofa, TV and a table big enough to eat at and play games with a serving hatch from the kitchen; very useful. The bed is comfy and the bedroom itself cool and dark. All in all the apartment is superb and is close to the city centre either by foot or by bus. Marie Cristina herself was an excellent hostess who kept in regular contact with us to make sure we were ok. She even printed off some tickets for the museums which insisted on paper copies. Highly recommended.