My husband and I were on an extended European vacation, and wanted to stay in a city where we might also day-trip to Venezia. Having been to Firenze 11 years earlier, and wanting to get out of the 'hotel habit' we were delighted when we found Giovanni and Claudia's apartment was available for our 3 night stay. Our night train brought us into SMN very early! We did not have a mobile for our trip and my Kindle wasn't compatible in Italy, so we communicated via email at internet cafes. Giovanni was prompt and informative in all our communiques. We agreed on a check-in time, met well and he cordially escorted us through security and key features. From an unassuming exterior, we entered a clean, modern foyer with an elevator. The 3rd floor apartment was perfect, just the right size for a couple traveling by train. We found it spotlessly clean, with shiny appliances and bright pops of color along with cool white tile. Having sorted out the practical details, pointing out where we could find a coffee maker or instructions for the washer etc, we chatted a bit with Giovanni, who spoke perfect english. He was very personable and wanted us to feel comfortable during our short stay in the apartment. Bottled water already in the fridge and wine was offered. We discovered that although he's a mild-mannered hard-working corporate professional in Firenze, his passion is motorcycles. He'd even been on an excursion on a scenic U.S. highway near _our_ home in California! After parting, my husband and I unwound from our travel from München, Germany. A balcony faced out into the shared courtyard, so we could enjoy a view of distant green hills, and indulge some people watching while we put our feet up and cooled off. The washer and clothes-horse were appreciated and used, and the shower was strong and hot as we needed. Sadly, I couldn't use my US made Kindle to email, as the apartment had no WLAN and Italy requires a special chip for WIFI. Through excursions into the neighborhood, we found convenient grocery, an open air market, and a real sense of day-to-day Italian life. Exactly what we prefer as travelers! Traffic makes taxi or bus sorties slow, but as we had a Eurail pass, and only a 12-15 minute walk to the train station Rifredi, we used that as our hub to SMN and back. We enjoyed our site-seeing in old town Firenze, but the regular runs to Rifredi led us to our discovery of an amazing caffé, where we fortified ourselves with delicious cappuccinos. Also, lots of shops bid us to stop and look. We did a *lot* of walking around, and always felt peaceable and relaxed upon return to our airy retreat. Due to schedule, we were unable to personally see Giovanni at check-out but spoke by phone and thanked him. A gracious, conscientious host. We cleaned, left the key and bid Ciao, Caradonnas! We can gladly recommend a stay.